PASTOR, DO YOU BELIEVE THAT HEAVEN EXISTS? Josimar Salum

PASTOR, DO YOU BELIEVE THAT HEAVEN EXISTS? Josimar Salum

“By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly." 2 Peter 3:7 

Yes, indeed, the heavens and the earth were created by God and exist.

 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1

“All things were made through him; without him, nothing that exists would have been made.” John 1:3

The heavens and the earth were created by God. “By faith we understand that the universe was formed by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made of what is visible.” Hebrews 11:3

But neither the heavens nor the earth that now exist are eternal. “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” Matthew 24:35

“Hear from heaven, your dwelling place; and when you hear, forgive.” 2 Chronicles 6:21.

““But will God really dwell on earth with humans? The heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built!" 2 Chronicles 6:18 

Now, what then is the eternal dwelling place of God?

The eternal home of God are his children, the Church, his Body.

“Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them." John 14:23 

“Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea." Revelation 21:1 

They say that Jesus went to prepare a place in heaven for us. But how did he go to prepare a place in heaven that will no longer exist?

“My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?" John 14:2 

If heaven is not the Father's house, what or who is the Father's house?

“if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth."1 Timothy 3:15 

“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." John 14:3 

Where did Jesus go to prepare a place?

Jesus said, “I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.” John 14:18

Jesus was announcing his death on the cross and His resurrection. “Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live." John 14:19 

““You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I." John 14:28 

Jesus was going to die on the cross, but he said he would come back. What Jesus was referring to? He said He would send the Advocate like Him.

 “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—" John 14:16 

“““When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me." John 15:26 

““But now I am going to him who sent me. None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 

Jesus went on to say, “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.” 

At this, some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean by saying, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,’ and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?” 

Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, “Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me’? 

Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy." John 16:5‭, ‬7‭, ‬13‭, ‬16‭-‬17‭, ‬19‭-‬20‭, ‬22 

Where was Jesus going? To the Father, He replied.

Where was Jesus going? To the cross. He also replied.

“Simon Peter asked him, “Lord, where are you going?”

Jesus replied, "Where I am going, you cannot follow me now, but you will follow me later."

Peter asked, “Lord, why can't I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you!”” John 13:36-37

“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” John 14:3‭-‬4 

Jesus went to prepare a place on the cross of Calvary. And he came back a few days later, resurrected from the dead. The disciples were saddened by his death, but they rejoiced when he returned.

And Jesus did not go to heaven to prepare a place, because the Kingdom was already prepared from before the foundation of the world. He could prepare nothing that by the cross and his eternal sacrifice he had not already prepared.

Even because the heavens that now exist are not eternal, like the earth, they are all passing. 

“Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—" John 14:5‭-‬6‭, ‬16 

“Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my word. My Father will love him, we will come to him and make our abode with him.” John 14:23

We are the eternal Abode of the Father.

“Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. 

So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. 

The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. 

If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man. 

I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 

Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality." 1 Corinthians 15:24‭, ‬42‭-‬44‭, ‬49‭-‬53

It does not say in the Bible that we will live in heaven forever. It just says we go to heaven when we die. And from there we will come with Jesus at His Coming.

“For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first." 1 Thessalonians 4:14‭, ‬16 

"However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”— the things God has prepared for those who love him—" 1 Corinthians 2:9 

“““When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world." Matthew 25:31‭, ‬34 

“Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 

I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God." Revelation 21:1‭-‬3

John saw that the New Jerusalem, the Church, the wife of the Lamb was coming down from heaven, not going up into heaven.

“One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 

And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God." Revelation 21:9‭-‬10 

“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. 

They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 

I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 

The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. 

The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. 

On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life." Revelation 21:3‭, ‬22‭-‬27 

#ASONE

WHERE IN THE BIBLE IS IT WRITTEN THAT JESUS COMES TO TAKE US TO HEAVEN ? Josimar Salum

WHERE IN THE BIBLE IS IT WRITTEN THAT JESUS COMES TO TAKE US TO HEAVEN ? Josimar Salum

Honestly I ask?  

Where in the Bible is it written that Jesus comes to take us to Heaven? 

The Bible teaches only this: 

“And his Lord said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant.  You were faithful over a little, I will set you over much;  enter into the joy of your lord.  And he will put the sheep on his right hand, and the goats on his left.  Then the King will say to those on his right hand: Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”  Matthew 25:21, 33-34.  

“But the heavens and the earth, which are now by the same word, are laid up for treasure, and are kept for fire, until the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.  looking for and hastening to the coming of the day of God, when the heavens will be dissolved in fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?  But we, according to his promise, await new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.”  2 Peter 3:7, 12-13

 Maranatha, come Lord Jesus!

 #ASONE

DOES THE BIBLE REALLY TEACH THAT JESUS WENT TO HEAVEN TO PREPARE A PLACE FOR US? Dr. Josimar Salum

DOES THE BIBLE REALLY TEACH THAT JESUS WENT TO HEAVEN TO PREPARE A PLACE FOR US? Dr. Josimar Salum 

Someone very special asked me:

“So that place is called at the right hand? What does John 14 says? Is it also talking about that place, the Father's place?

I must tell you directly and up front. Jesus is not preparing any place to us. This concept does not even make sense, that He is in heaven after 2000 years preparing a place for us. To think such thing is to blasphemously ignore His complete work of redemption at the Cross. He said at last: “It is finished!” This means that His work is completed and finished, that His blood shed and His death are totally enough for our redemption. He left the disciples a little while while He died on the Cross and three days later He was risen from the dead and He came back to His disciples. 

“Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.” I Corinthians‬ ‭15:1-8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.” Acts‬ ‭1:1-3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Jesus says He went to the Cross to prepare a place (dwelling) for us. In fact in John chapter 13, 14 and in the subsequent chapters He made no reference to heaven. The word heaven does not even appear in these texts. Jesus was going to lay down His life for us. 

“Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, where are You going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you shall follow Me afterward.” Peter said to Him, “Lord, why can I not follow You now? I will lay down my life for Your sake.” Jesus answered him, “Will you lay down your life for My sake? Most assuredly, I say to you, the rooster shall not crow till you have denied Me three times.” John‬ ‭13:36-38‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

John 14 says clearly He was going to the Father ... That He would not leave the disciples orphans. That He would come back and He did when He sent His Holy Spirit to live in them. Read carefully with the new understating of the Spirit.

“Do not let your hearts be distressed. You believe in God; believe also in me. There are many dwelling places in my Father’s house.”

“God does not really live on the earth! Look, if the sky and the highest heaven cannot contain you, how much less this temple I have built!” 1 Kings‬ ‭8:27‬ ‭NET‬‬

“Otherwise, I would have told you, because I am going away to make ready a place for you. And if I go and make ready a place for you, I will come again and take you to be with me, so that where I am you may be too. And you know the way where I am going.” Thomas said, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus replied, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you have known me, you will know my Father too. And from now on you do know him and have seen him.”

“If you love me, you will obey my commandments. Then I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you forever – the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, because it does not see him or know him. But you know him, because he resides with you and will be in you. “I will not abandon you as orphans, I will come to you. In a little while the world will not see me any longer, but you will see me; because I live, you will live too.

Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and take up residence with him. We will dwell in them.” 

You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I am.” John‬ ‭14:1-7, 15-19, 23, 28‬ ‭NET‬‬

The eternal dwelling of GOD is His people.

 “And I saw the holy city – the new Jerusalem – descending out of heaven from God, made ready like a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: “Look! The residence of God is among human beings. He will live among them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them.” Revelation‬ ‭21:2-3‬ ‭NET‬‬

The Father’s place, the place where  GOD dwells is US. 

“Now I saw no temple in the city, because the Lord God – the All-Powerful – and the Lamb are its temple.” Revelation‬ ‭21:22‬ ‭NET‬‬

“But if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” ‭‭I Timothy‬ ‭3:15‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

And the following passage introduces a higher revelation about the eternal dwelling of GOD that I prefer not to comment now, but just share the scripture. 

“He is the head of the body, the church, as well as the beginning, the firstborn from among the dead, so that he himself may become first in all things. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in the Son and through him to reconcile all things to himself by making peace through the blood of his cross – through him, whether things on earth or things in heaven. And you were at one time strangers and enemies in your minds as expressed through your evil deeds, but now he has reconciled you by his physical body through death to present you holy, without blemish, and blameless before him –” Colossians‬ ‭1:18-22‬ ‭NET‬‬

“I am not praying only on their behalf, but also on behalf of those who believe in me through their testimony, that they will all be one, just as you, Father, are in me and I am in you. I pray that they will be in us, so that the world will believe that you sent me. The glory you gave to me I have given to them, that they may be one just as we are one – I in them and you in me – that they may be completely one, so that the world will know that you sent me, and you have loved them just as you have loved me.” John‬ ‭17:20-23‬ ‭NET‬

We have to understand what the Bible really teach us and not perpetuate what we have received a tradition. If it is not biblical indeed, we should not be resistant to reject it. We will not go and we will not live in heaven forever. There is no such teaching in the Bible. The Bible teach us about inheriting the Kingdom and not eternal life in heaven. Our lives actually is not about heaven. Heaven is not our goal or our aim. Jesus is. 

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.” Matthew‬ ‭25:34‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Attention to the fact that the  kingdom has been prepared for us since the creation of the world. There is no ongoing preparation for us in heaven and in any other circumstances. 

“But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in turn: Christ, the first-fruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” 1 Corinthians‬ ‭15:20-26‬ ‭NIV‬‬

This false teaching which have been sustained and shared years that the heaven is the place God prepared for us, that heaven is our eternal home must be denounced and rejected. GOD has never promised heaven to men, GOD has given us eternal life and promised His Kingdom. 

“The heavens belong to the LORD, but the earth he has given to mankind.” Psalms‬ ‭115:16‬ ‭NET‬‬

Heaven is not the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of heaven is grater than heaven and the whole creation.

“Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven! Again I say, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter into the kingdom of God.” Matthew‬ ‭19:23-24‬ ‭NET‬‬

“For thus an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be richly provided for you.” 2 Peter‬ ‭1:11‬ ‭NET‬‬

“Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”” John‬ ‭3:3, 5-8‬ ‭NKJV‬

“Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.” ‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭6:9-10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.” Ephesians‬ ‭5:5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.” Luke 12:32

“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:10

For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:12-14

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 7:21

This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.’ Matthew 6:9-10

“Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 1:10-11

#ASONE

MY GOAL IS NOT TO LIVE IN HEAVEN. Josimar Salum

MY GOAL IS NOT TO LIVE IN HEAVEN. Josimar Salum 

My largest goal is not to live in heaven.

Even because there is no promise in the Bible that we will go up to live in heaven forever.

Being like Jesus is the purpose of my life.

My vision is to inherit the Kingdom.

My mission is to make disciples.

My aim is to know Jesus, and the virtue of his resurrection, and the reality of his afflictions, according to his death.

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.  All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained." Philippians 3:12‭-‬16 

“And now, I say this, brothers: that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, nor does corruption inherit incorruption.

I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed." 1 Corinthians 15:50‭-‬52 

“But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?” How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body. Not all flesh is the same: People have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another. There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor.  So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being” ; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven. As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven. And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man." 1 Corinthians 15:35‭-‬49 

"But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells." 2 Peter 3:13 

How could I aim to live in an old heaven?

#ASONE

Translated by: Filipe S.S. Gouvea

What you really to know about heaven, rapture and Jesus' second coming? Josimar Salum

What you really to know about heaven, rapture and Jesus' second coming? Josimar Salum

It is urgent to say that we have a serious problem with the English language versions of the Bible. This happens actually in all the languages as you read all their different Bible versions. The differences that exist with each other are very clear. Some texts are even contradictory, and this is due to the theological doctrine or current belief of the “translators”. I personally have the privilege to consult the text in the originals that we have available and can determine which is the best version or how to translate the text correctly. Per example, Philippians 3:20 does not say that heaven is our homeland or our city. The text says that our citizenship is in heaven.

This text does not teach that we are going to heaven. The text reads as follows: “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.” Philippians‬ ‭3:20-21‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Whoever died in Christ sleeps in Christ, and according to what Jesus said to the thief who invoked Him on the Cross, he goes to paradise. Jesus said that he would be with Him “today” in paradise. According to II Corinthians 12, paradise is the third heaven.

According to the story (not a parable) narrated by Luke about the rich man and Lazarus, the rich man died and went to a place of torment (Hades, hell) and Lazarus died and went to Abraham's bosom.

“Now there was a rich man, and he was dressed in purple and very fine linen, and he lived every day with great pleasure and splendor. There was also a certain beggar, named Lazarus, who lay full of wounds at his door.

And it happened that the beggar died and was taken by the angels to Abraham's bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. And in Hades, he looked up, in torment, and saw Abraham and Lazarus in the distance in his bosom. And he cried out and said, Abraham, my father, have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in the water and cool my tongue, because I am tormented in this flame.” Luke 16: 19-20, 22-24

Paul comforts those who died in Christ.

“However, I do not want brothers to be ignorant of those who are already asleep, lest you be saddened, like the rest, who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose, so will those who sleep in Jesus also God will bring them back with him. We tell you this, therefore, through the word of the Lord: that we who remain alive for the coming of the Lord will not precede those who sleep. For the same Lord will descend from heaven with a shout, and with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and those who died in Christ will rise first; then, we who remain alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we will always be with the Lord. Therefore, comfort one another with these words. ” 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18

Those who die in Christ go to heaven, from where they will come with Jesus at His coming. The text says that "to those who sleep in Jesus God will bring them back with him."

Note that the verb bring here does not refer only to those who remain alive for the Coming of Jesus. And the text does not say that we are waiting for the rapture that is the emphasis of most evangelicals, especially Pentecostals, but we are waiting for Jesus to come. It is not about rapture, it is about the coming of Jesus. The text says that both the living and those who sleep in Christ will come with Him, we will be caught up together with them to meet the Lord and thus we will be with the Lord forever. There is no reference to heaven.

Where will we "be" (as a place) forever with the Lord? In fact, translating the verb literally the question is this: Where will we BE (being) forever with the Lord?

“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth. Because the first heaven and the first land have passed, and the sea no longer exists. And I, John, saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, which was descending from God from heaven, addressed as a wife adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice from heaven, saying, Here is the tabernacle of God with men, for he will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and the same God will be with them and will be their God.” Revelation 21: 1-3

Watch! The City, which is the Church, the Lamb's Wife descends from heaven. The expression “the Bride of the Lamb” does not appear, it does not exist in the Bible. “Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory, for the Lamb's wedding is coming, and his wife has already made herself ready.” Revelation 19: 7

Many translate as a bride, but the Lamb never had a bride, always a wife. And the wife is not a literal city. The New Jerusalem is used to describe the Lamb's wife who is the Church. “But you came to Mount Zion, and to the city of the living God, to Jerusalem celestial, and the many thousands of angels, to the universal assembly and church of the firstborn, who are inscribed in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the perfected righteous;" Hebrews 12: 22-23 The Jerusalem celestial is the universal assembly and the church of the first born!

What is most glorious and wonderful will happen at the coming of Jesus: the transformation of our bodies. We will have the same glorious body as our Lord Jesus. And this body does not depend on space to be able to be. Before the creation of all things, God did not need a place. He was "independent" of any creation. God “lived” in the Kingdom that He prepared before the foundation of the world.

And finally, this is why we have always taught, God never promised heaven or that we will live in heaven forever. It is about a new dimension, the new creation, the Kingdom of God that we are already in, but it will manifest in its totality at the coming of our Lord Jesus.

“Then the King will say to those on his right: Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom which has been prepared for you since the foundation of the world;” Matthew 25:34

“See that you do not reject what you speak; for if those who rejected what on earth warned them did not escape, much less we, if we turn away from him who is from heaven, the voice from which he then moved the earth, but now he announced, saying: Yet again I will be moved, not only the earth, but also the sky. And this word: Once again, it shows the change of moving things, like things made, so that the properties remain. Therefore, having received a Kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us retain grace, by which we serve God pleasantly with reverence and piety; beca use our God is a consuming fire." Hebrews 12: 25-29

The Kingdom of God is greater than the entire universe and the heavens.

“And now, I say this, brothers: that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Here I tell you a mystery: In fact, we will not all sleep, but we will all be transformed, in a moment, in the blink of an eye, before the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will rise incorruptible, and we will be changed.” 1 Corinthians 15: 50-52

#ASONE

“ Dr. Salum, you explain the whole Bible! 😃 Thank you! I always learn from your teachings,they are different to what our pastors preach,they focused on heaven, offerings and tithe. Please multiply such teachings through conferences especially in Burundi, because many pastors need to be transformed first and go to teach the truth of Jesus. Thank you for the team you work with in Burundi, and the team from USA, you and Dr. Paul, hope all nations will be affected with your teachings. God can do what the men can't do.” - NLT

Reinhard Bonnke is in heaven now.

December 7th, 2019. One of the greatest men of God in our generation, Reinhard Bonnke, is in heaven now.

Brother Bonnke is now waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus soon. 

I had the privilege of meeting him personally. I was assigned In 1994 to bring him from the platform to his car and at the entrance hall of the soccer stadium Mineirão in Belo Horizonte he prayed for me. 

I told him: “Pastor Bonnke, you preached tonight that the torch of the Gospel that Jesus passed to His apostles was passed to the apostle Paul, and Paul passed to Timothy and Timothy passed to others and this is the same torch we carry today. Pastor Bonnke, I also carry the torch of the Gospel. Please, I need the anointing to carry it faithfully.” 

And he just prayed: “Lord Jesus, bring this young man to another level. Amen.”

I thanked him and left him at the car that would transport him to the hotel. 

And I met Deivison, my young brother outside the stadium. I had been mentoring Deivison since he was a teenager.  I’ve told him that Bonnke has just prayed for me. 

Deivison responded: “Oh! You could have asked him to pray for me.” 

“— Deivison, I didn’t it. But receive now what I have received.” And I blew on him. Deivison almost fell. He was filled with the Holy Spirit. I had to hold him. 

That night Deivison would not sleep. He prayed all night long in tongues. His life had never be the same.

After we prayed we went to the Iemanjá Festival at the Pampulha Lake to pray for people. I remember I met Senator Virgilio Guimaraes and prayed for him. “Why politicians would come to get a blessing from witches for Brazil?” 

Pastor Bonnke inspired me so much. This man of God had deeply impacted my life. I would watch his videos in Nigeria and I would cry before the Lord for a long time marveling at the work of the Holy Spirit through him. 

Here is the letter from Mrs. Ann Bonnke. 

Josimar Salum 
#ASONE

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

It is with sorrow that the Bonnke Family would like to announce the passing of our beloved husband, father, and grandfather, Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke. He passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family, on December 7, 2019. For the past 60 years he has preached the glorious Gospel of Jesus throughout the entire world. We want to thank you on behalf of him and our family, for your kind love and unwavering support, which enabled him to preach the matchless message of salvation to countless people.

He preached Jesus…

“Great and marvelous are Your works,
Lord God Almighty!
Just and true are Your ways,
O King of the saints!
Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name?
For You alone are holy.
For all nations shall come and worship before You,
For Your judgments have been manifested.”
Revelation 15:3-4

In Christ,
Anni Bonnke and Family

We kindly ask, in lieu of flowers, to please make a donation to Christ for all Nations – Africa Crusade.

Transforming Series (14): THE GRACE QUIZ

THE GRACE QUIZ

Below are twelve faith-related concepts that don't seem to be regularly discussed in many churches today. But our view on each of these concepts affects our relationship with God, our spiritual growth and our fulfillment in life. So for each of the twelve concepts, decide whether you think each is TRUE or FALSE.

1. God’s children should ask Him to forgive and cleanse them when they sin.
True or False

2. God’s children struggle with sin because of their old self within.
True or False

3. We should wait on God even before making everyday decisions.
True or False

4. When we sin against God, we're out of fellowship until we repent.
True or False

5. Old Testament law is written on God’s children hearts so we want to obey it.
True or False

6. The Bible tells us that God’s children can obtain many rewards in heaven.
True or False

7. God’s children will give an account for their sins at the great white throne.
True or False

8. God’s children should tithe at least 10 percent of their income to the church to be blessed.
True or False

9. God gets angry with us when we repeatedly sin against Him.
True or False

10. God looks at us as though we're righteous, even though we're really not.
True or False

11. Salvation is by grace through faith, but I have to sanctify myself every day, be a good Christian and do good works to reach heaven.

True or False

12. When I say that Jesus saves I mean if I die I go to heaven.

True or False

Based on the book The Naked Gospel Andrew Farley Zondervan

Transforming Series (13): If you do not know where Jesus is going, how can you know where you aregoing too! By JSalum

If you do not know where Jesus is going, how can you know where you are going too! By JSalum

A son said: "This is a good word which is encouraging me in the journey of heaven and to do well some work of God without to fear anything!" 

Yes, Yes! Journey OF heaven and not journey TO heaven! I am not in a journey to heaven, I want to get and I did get already to the Father! I am in my Father and my Father is in me! Yes, son, you will do well some work of God without fearing anything.

This is so spectacular! Jesus is saying: "The person who trusts me will not only do what I’m doing but even greater things, because I, on my way to the Father, am giving you the same work to do that I’ve been doing. You can count on it. From now on, whatever you request along the lines of who I am and what I am doing, I’ll do it. That’s how the Father will be seen for who he is in the Son."

We should be along these lines of who Jesus is and what He is doing! It is up to say the same thing about us. Who I am and what I am doing! 

Please read again!  “Thomas said, “Master, we have no idea where you’re going. How do you expect us to know the road?” Jesus said, “I am the Road, also the Truth, also the Life. No one gets to the Father but by me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him. You’ve even seen him!”

Son, you have already reached your destination if you are walking with me!

"Philip said, “Master, show us the Father; then we’ll be content.” “You’ve been with me all this time, Philip, and you still don’t understand? To see me is to see the Father. So how can you ask, ‘Where is the Father?’" 

"Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you aren’t mere words. I don’t just make them up on my own. The Father who resides in me crafts each word into a divine act."

“Believe me: I am in my Father and my Father is in me. If you can’t believe that, believe what you see—these works."

"The person who trusts me will not only do what I’m doing but even greater things, because I, on my way to the Father, am giving you the same work to do that I’ve been doing. You can count on it. From now on, whatever you request along the lines of who I am and what I am doing, I’ll do it. That’s how the Father will be seen for who he is in the Son, I mean it. Whatever you request in this way, I’ll do.”

John 14:5-14 MSG

Wow! You are not going to heaven. You are going to GOD! You have been in God, you are in GOD. And you are  going to GOD! 

What I am going to say is only for the sake of some of my brothers. If in HIM you just "go to heaven" if you die, but your destination is not heaven, but GOD! It is so boring to think  of death in terms of a way to go to heaven when I have to question God about everything and I just started few years, 52 years ago? 

When being in God, when walking with Him is all, does the place matters? Why do I need a place if I am in Him? 

If you were God, just think a minute, but not in the sense of power that is so attractive to our human nature, if you were God where would you like to live? What place would you like to stay? 

As a man and a woman, a human being where do you like to be? In your house? Some will say, I have no house! In a field with all the nature around you? Are you staying in the city? Where are you? 

“And a scribe came up and said to Jesus, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go." And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head."”

Matthew 8:19-20 ESV

Let me tell where I want to lay my head!

“One of the disciples, the one Jesus loved dearly, was reclining against him, his head on his shoulder. John 13:22-25 MSG

The Gospel I have known!

"The only Gospel most Christians have known is about only the words Jesus spoke to the thief on the right hand of His cross. "Today you will be with me in paradise." The difference between the  thief is that few hours later he died, but these Christians are alive doing nothing, still waiting to go to paradise. Some got tired waiting, and invented another gospel, one of material prosperity, to make a paradise on Earth. However the Gospel is the one who make people be like Jesus and do just what He did!" (JSalum)

Christ in you!

"Christ in you the hope of glory. It's not that you're going to heaven. Is that you are becoming who Christ is, for He is being formed in you. And with billions of others like Him you will express glory on the last day. Imagine the glory of one Christ! Now imagine billions and billions like Him!" (JSalum)