Book Review: Let’s Quit Fighting About the Holy Spirit (1974) by Peter E. Gillquist

Let’s Quit Fighting About the Holy Spirit (1974) by Peter E. Gillquist

When I first saw this book – thin, old and brown – I thought I would just glance it thru and leave it in the bookshelf of our office’s library. But when I read first chapter I was hooked. Then half way I checked again when this book was published… 1974… really? Wow, I thought the content is so relevant and so true and so ‘today’ that it felt like it was written in the year 2017! Ecclesiastes 3:15: “What is happening now has happened before, and what will happen in the future has happened before.”

Fighting about the work of the Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts, are so very today. Evangelicals against Charismatics, Catholics against Protestants. I’m not talking about fighting over core doctrinal believes or major Biblical theology such as who is the Holy Spirit is, that’s important and worth the fight. First truth, then unity. No real unity without truth. Truth matter. But I’m taking about – and the author of this book – the quarrel over the work of the Holy Spirit. “It is tragic,” writes Peter Gillquist, “that Satan has used to divide us the very means God gave to unite us.” Writing against the background of the author’s personal struggle and experiences and his deep knowledge in the Scriptures, this book explained clearly and gently why misunderstandings about the gifts of the Holy Spirit exist and how they can be cleared away by love and truth. Based on 1 Corinthians 12-13 he shows his deep love for Christians on both sides of the issues. 

He also shows what exciting things God is doing with His people, and how those happenings relate to the concepts of love and oneness among all believers. I like how Peter explains this: “I cannot help but believe the last great job Jesus Christ wants to accomplish with His people is to bring them together as a functioning unit. In fact, Paul predicts something like this in Ephesians 5:27. He says Jesus will ‘present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she should be holy and blameless.’ Jesus Christ will not be coming back to claim an ugly bickering bride! He wants something holy, spotless. His prayer for the church was ‘that they may all be one’ (John 17:21). This He has a job on His hands, and He is in the process right now of getting on with it. We are living in the age when the coming together of the body of Christ is the major theme. And the work has begun. And to bring about awakening and unity in the body of Christ, God pours His Spirit upon men. He has done it before. He is doing it now.” Amen!

This book is divided into 11 chapters:

1. The Nature of Unity
2. The Nature of Division
3. Living by the Spirit
4. Life, Not Lingo
5. The Gifts: Knowing, Trusting, Healing
6. The Gifts: Prophesy and Discernment
7. The Gifts: Tongues and Interpretation
8. Being Baptized in the Holy Spirit
9. A Place for Us
10. People Who Need People
11. I’m Encouraged

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Jesus' Ascension: Between Heavenly and Earthly Visions (Acts 1:9-11)

“It was not long afterwards that [Lord Jesus] rose into the sky and disappeared into a cloud, leaving them staring after him. As they were straining their eyes for another glimpse, suddenly two white-robed men were standing there among them, and said, ‘Men of Galilee, why are you standing here staring at the sky? Jesus has gone away to heaven, and some day, just as he went, he will return!’”
(Acts 1:9-11, The Living Bible)

In John 1:14 we read that the Word became flesh and dwelt among men. In John 16:28 Jesus said that He had “came from the Father into the world and will leave the world and return to the Father.” Jesus came a long journey into this world to do His Father’s will. Here Jesus is going back to heaven, to His Father. Jesus loves His Father and we know that the Father loves His Son. This love exchange should make us very glad because indeed, God is love!

The apostles were so surprised that they stood there staring in amazement up into heaven. So two angels (two white-robed men, no doubt were angels) appeared to them and told them plainly that this very same Jesus would come back again in the same way as He had gone into heaven. “This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven” (NIV). What can we understand from this passage? I want to quote John R. Stott commentary in The Message of Acts (1990) here:

First, Jesus will come again. “He has gone, and they must let him go; he will return in his own good time, in the same way… There will be important differences between his going and his coming. Although his coming will be personal, it will not be private like his ascension. Only the eleven apostles saw him go, but when he comes ‘every eyes will see him.’ Instead of returning alone (as when he went). Millions of holy ones – both human and angelic – will form his retinue. And in place of a localized coming (‘There he is!’ or ‘Here he is!’), it will be ‘like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other’” (page 50).

Secondly, the angles implied, until Jesus comes again, the apostles must get on with their witness, for that was their mandate. “There was something fundamentally anomalous about their gazing up into the sky when they had been commissioned to go to the end of the earth. It was the earth not the sky which was to be their preoccupation. Their calling was to be witnesses not stargazers. The vision they were to cultivate was not upwards in nostalgia to the heaven which had received Jesus, but outwards in compassion to a lost world which needed him… First, Jesus returned to heaven (Ascension). Secondly, the Holy Spirit came (Pentecost). Thirdly, the church goes out to witness (Mission). Fourthly, Jesus will come back (Parousia)” (page 51).

Obviously for us today, we must remember these 2 important truths: #1 Heavenly vision: Our hope is sure! Jesus is alive and He will come back again to unite us to have fellowship with the loving Father.  And #2 Earthly vision: Between Jesus’ going and coming, in the power of the Holy Spirit, we must go into the world for Jesus! Amen.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Young Men, Consider the Returning Jesus

“I will come back” (John 14:3, NIV)

The return of Christ to earth is the denouement toward which the Church has been looking for centuries. “Our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed” (Romans 13:11) and so is the second coming of our Lord. It is not only the object of our anticipation, but of admonition to very practical Christian duties. A careful study will reveal that this event is linked to every great doctrine and ethical duty.

It sounds a call to consecration (means the separation of oneself from things that are unclean, especially anything that would contaminate one’s relationship with a perfect God). “Look, I come like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake and remains clothed, so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed” (Revelation 16:15). We are to be careful in keeping our garments of the soul stainless. Are we as careful in this realm as we are of the garments we wear? When others see our garments, they see us. We are to “clothed with Christ” (Galatians 3:27 or “put on”) so that others will see Him when they see us. In these Laodicea days our Lord counsels us to “buy from me… white clothes to wear…” (Revelation 3:18).

His return carries with it the assurance of reward. “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me” (Revelation 22:12). There is a tendency to regard the reward motive as a commercializing of Christianity, but it played a prominent part in the thinking of the early Church. Paul frequently refers to it, as did his Master. Some Christians piously protest that they will be content with the lowest place in heaven, but this is false humility and could be a cloak of spiritual lethargy. “Run in such a way as to get the prize,” that is, the promised reward (1 Corinthians 9:24). It any case, rewards are not given. They are earned. Heavenly rewards are for earthly renunciations.

The second coming is an encouragement to continuance. “I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown” (Revelation 3:11). In Hebrews 2:1 we are exhorted not to drift away from the truth we have heard. The ascended Lord urges us to hold fast what we already have, lest our reward be taken by someone else. His imminent return provides the motive for this. There may still be years before this blessed hope is realized. Let us fill the days with sacrificial service. Spiritual idleness/laziness means eternal loss.

[Edited, modified and modernized from Consider Him (1976) by J. Oswald Sanders]

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Young Men, Consider the Ascended Jesus

“[Jesus] left them and was taken up into heaven”

(Luke 24:51, NIV)

The ascension of our Lord directs attention to the fact that He is not only risen, but enthroned. It is that event in which the risen Christ finally and visibly withdrew from His disciples and passed into the heavens – a fitting climax to His life of perfect obedience on earth. His glorious ascension was the necessary and appropriate complement to His resurrection, and the manner in which it took place was consistent with His miraculous life and achievements.

He did not vanish out of sight as He did at Emmaus (Luke 24:31) leaving a question as to whether there might be yet further appearances. He walked away from them, and then He was carried up into heaven, there to sit at the right hand of God. It took place as they were looking on, in broad daylight (Acts 1:9). There was no possibility of mistake. He was really and finally gone.

He ascended bodily, and carried His glorified human body into heaven. He left the disciples, with His hands outstretched in blessing. As soon as His nail-pierced feet left the earth, He commenced His ministry as their Advocate and Intercessor. They exchanged His physical presence for His spiritual omnipresence.

The ascension was an important part of the Lord’s ministry on our behalf. It imparted the assurance that His death was effective and that all God’s claims against sinful men had been met. It evidenced the fact that the problem created by man’s sin had been finally solved. It enabled His disciples to give a satisfying account of the disappearance of Christ’ body from the tomb.

Further, it was the necessary prelude to the coming of the Holy Spirit as promised by the Lord. As the Scriptures says, “the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified” (John 7:39). Now the way was open for the Pentecostal effusion. By the ascension, the local Christ became the universal Christ whose personal presence was mediated by the Holy Spirit.

To Christ, it was the reward of His obedience unto death. “Therefore God exalted Him…” (Philippians 2:9). The ascension reversed man’s verdict on the Son of God. Had the Saviour not ascended, we would be without a representative in heaven, and without the Comforter to lead and guide us on earth. His presence in heaven makes heaven a blessed reality to us. Amen.

[Edited, modified and modernized from Consider Him (1976) by J. Oswald Sanders]

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Jesus Came to Destroy the Works of the Devil (1 John 3:8-10)

“But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practise of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God. So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God”

(1 John 3:8-10, NLT).

The Apostle John goes on to make it very clear that the devil is the mastermind of this problem of sin. Just as love and obedience are evidence that a person belongs to Jesus Christ, so habitual sinning and hating are evidence of the devil’s involvement.

When you think of the devil or Satan, what comes to your mind? Many people think of a monster-type figure with a terrifying face, goat-like head, dressed in red, and carrying a pitchfork. Other people may think of a demon who floats in the air like a ghost and causes scary things to happen. Some may just believe whatever the movies depicted Satan to be. What do I think? I’m not sure. I don’t care much. But I’m very sure that Satan is able to “disguises himself as an angel of light” (1 Corinthians 11:14).

As we read the Scriptures, we know that Satan existed for a very long time even before the earth was created (see Ezekiel 28). It was Satan who masqueraded as (or influenced) a serpent and tempted Eve and Adam to disobey God. Satan “has been sinning since the beginning” and is the very essence of evil. And he seems to be very sly and cunning. Satan, no doubt, has great power and influences great numbers of people. He even has a temporary throne (see Revelations 2:13; 1 John 5:13). Many people are so influenced by Satan and his demons that they worship him as the god of this world. They are totally under Satan’s control (see John 8:44; 2 Timothy 2:26).

But you my friends, don’t be afraid! We might think that Satan’s power is so great that he will rule the world forever. Don’t be afraid! The Scriptures make it clear that even though the devil is powerful, God is even stronger. In fact, Satan’s overthrow began with the coming of Jesus (read Matthew 12:25-29; Luke 10:18; John 12:31). “The Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil.” Jesus took Satan’s power away to neutralize this terrible influence and replace it with the power of love, freedom, peace, and forgiveness. But even though the devil has been knocked down, he still is alive and doing well in the lives of many people. He serves God’s purposes on earth. Soon God will finally destroy Satan totally when Christ returns to earth (read Revelations 20:10). Then Satan’s power will be gone forever. Even at this moment, anytime Jesus would wish to snap His finger, Satan will be destroyed!

Then John goes on to say that “those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practise of sinning, because God’s life is in them”. “God’s life” is also translated as “God’s seed.” I think John here is compares the Word of God to a seed that produces new life (read James 1:18 and 1 Peter 1:23). Just as a beautiful plant must begin by being a seed which is fed and watered, so we as human beings grow spiritually as we study, understand, and obey what God wants us to do. God’s Word gives us strength and guidance to know who God is, and what God wants us to do. If God’s Word is in us “[we] can’t keep on sinning, because [we] are children of God.”

There are two basic tests to show what influence God is having in our lives: 1) the first is whether a person continues to sin deliberately, knowingly, and habitually. This is different from the occasional sin (which you and I, all Christians will continue to do), and shows that sin is still dominant. The second test is more positive: 2) the children of God show that they belong to God by living righteously and loving other believers. According to John, then, we show who our spiritual father is – God or the devil – by the way we behave. It’s not our words but our actions that make the difference. Talk can be cheap; actions are more costly. And the actions of the Christians are to be summed up in one word: LOVE, agape.

What can you do to change your attitudes, behaviors, and so on,

so that you can look forward eagerly for Christ to return?

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Jesus' Return: What Will We Be Like? Who Will We See? (1 John 3:1-3)

“See how much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him. Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, pure as he is pure”

(1 John 3:1-3, NLT).

I like this. The Apostle John breaks into an outburst of wonder at God’s love in making us His children. “See how much our Father loves us…” John is like saying: “Can you believe how great God’s love is? This love is lavished on us. Extravagance-love. God does not withhold love or attention when we are bad or disobedient. God’s love just keeps coming and coming!” John, again and again, calls us, the believers – “God’s children.” In other words, we bear the name of the family of God! What better name could we have? In our society, a person can get ahead if he or she has a certain name. But even more important than those names is the name of Jesus. Jesus is our Lord and Brother, God is our Father. We belong to Him. We are not only called God’s children – we really are His’!

From telling us who we are, John goes on to talk about what we will be. I can’t wait for this. “We will be like him.” Exactly what we will be like when Christ returns is not all that clear. But we do know that this life is only the beginning. The best is yet to be. The Apostle Paul, however, gives us some clues about what we will be like. He says that we will be clothed in “heavenly bodies” that will last forever (read 2 Corinthians 5:1-5). Unlike our earthly bodies which can get sick and waste away, our heavenly bodies will never wear out. This reminds me of Jesus’ body after His resurrection. He could suddenly appear in a locked room without having come through the door (see John 20:19). Even though people could see Him, somehow He was different; and that is how it will be for us too [David Pawson said we going to have a 33-years old body like Jesus. We’ll see]. The promise is that we will not only look like Christ but even more important, we will “see him as he really is.” We will be with Christ forever (read Philippians 1:23; Colossians 3:4). The joy of being with Christ will never end!

In the last verse above, John tells us what we should be. Even as we look forward to Christ’s return and with “eager expectation” for this amazing event we should also aim for purity right now. We must “keep [ourselves] pure, pure as he is pure.” Even though we live this life in preparation for the next, we still need to be responsible to live this life to the fullest. Becoming pure is not an instant act; instead, it is a lifetime process of becoming more pure and clean in a moral and spiritual sense. Thus, we need to focus our energies and values on God so that we can become what God wants us to be. In summary, how much God loves us? “Very much.” Who we are? “His children.” What we will be like? “Like [Christ].” What we will be able to do? “We will see him as he really is.” Therefore, what we should be and do now? We must keep “[ourselves] pure, just as he is pure.” This is beyond awesome… I’m speechless… Amen.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Jesus, the Righteous King Shall Return: Be Courageous and Do What Is Right (1 John 2:28-29)

“And now, dear children, remain in fellowship with Christ so that when he returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink back from him in shame. Since we know that Christ is righteous, we also know that all who do what is right are God’s children”
(1 John 2:28-29, NLT).

The Apostle John urges us to live continually (“remain”) with Jesus Christ as we wait for His return. John here uses the expression to describe the return or visit of a king. Just as an earthly king makes appearances to his subjects, Jesus Himself the King of Kings will make a final appearance visibly and personally, powerful and with authority to everyone on earth. Are you ready?

The Scriptures talk about two reactions that people will have to the second coming of Christ. First, some people will be ashamed. They are those who are not ready for His coming. Maybe they do not really believe in Christ or that He will return. Maybe they had heard the words of Truth again and again but just were not able to follow it. Maybe they were doing wrong. So they are caught off-guard or feel guilty for their lack of faith (read Matthew 22:11-12; Revelation 6:15-17). That is how some people will respond when Christ returns. People have been told again and again to be ready for this great event even though we are not to sit around and relax and think only about Christ’s coming, we are to keep busy for God’s Kingdom with one eye out for what is to come. Some people will be embarrassed or ashamed because of their lack of faith.

Other people will be able to respond with “full of courage” and “not ashamed” – confidence. The Scriptures tell us that we need not approach God with fear (of guilty and embarrassment) anymore. As “God’s children” we can be bold in sharing our feelings and needs with Him (read Hebrews 4:16; 10:19). If we obey God we will grow in our confidence to live as the people God wants us to become. Overcoming our fear is certainly an important part of our growth as believers. Only “remain in fellowship with Christ” and know that “Christ is righteous.”

And then, John reminds us that we can prove that we “remain in fellowship with Christ” by the way we live. The proof of this fellowship is not merely our having the right beliefs but showing loving actions as well.  What we need to remember is that our loving actions (righteous acts) – “do what is right” – are the evidence, not the cause of our salvation in Christ. There are certainly people who believe that if we just live a little better we will be closer to God and be Christians. No! Jesus made it very clear that our actions do not save us – it is our faith that makes the difference (read Romans 3:27; Ephesians 2:8-10). But a natural and spontaneous outgrowth of our “fellowship with Christ” is the kind of living that reflects God’s love and is pleasing to God. Thus, John writes, “We know that all who do what is right are God’s children.” Amen.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Jesus Is Coming Soon: We are Living in "the Last Hour" (1 John 2:18)

“Dear children, the last hour is here. You have heard that the Antichrist is coming, and already many such antichrists have appeared. From this we know that the last hour has come”
(1 John 2:18, NLT)

The Apostle John makes startling statements here: “The last hour is here”; “The last hour has come” [Another interesting statement is “the Antichrist,” but I’ll deal with this in the next article]. What does he mean by this? We know that Jesus Christ had not (and has not until this day) actually returned to earth. Yet John is speaking of the “last hour” as if it is just around the corner.

Let’s put this statement “last hour” in the setting in which it was originally written. If we go back and look at the teachings of Jesus Himself regarding the end times, we see that He made it very clear that no one would know for sure the hour when the end would come and He would return (Jesus’ second coming, see Matthew 24:42). Jesus also taught that certain events were to happen such as the Good News about Himself being shared throughout the whole world before He would return (see Matthew 24:14). Jesus promised that He would return most dramatically – with the shouts of angels, and the sound of trumpets. Everyone on earth will witness the event! Then the faithful believers would be taken back to heaven with Him (see Matthew 24:30-31).

So, how does all of this fit together? We’ve already talked in the previous series of articles on 1 John about the fact that when Jesus came to earth for the first time, His coming heralded the end of one age and the beginning of a new one. We are still in the new one, the “last hour.” This is not something far off in the distant future – it has already begun. Now! So, in one sense, every hour is the last. Since Jesus first lived on earth we have a new kind of time – the age period – not measured in terms of length (quantity) but in a new dimension (quality). We are living in the “last hour” or “end times” – being careful and alert, watching and waiting for Jesus’ return, but also staying involved in this life by caring for others, and loving one another. We should be living for the future and in the present.

Thus, the end of history certainly has not already happened. We really cannot know for sure when it will happen (don’t trust any messages from social media, especially from YouTube’s ‘prophets’ and Facebook’s ‘dreamers.’ The Scriptures, Matthew 24:36, says “Nobody knows…”). But we do know that with the first coming of Jesus Christ, we began to live in the “last hour,” even if that final end of history should still be a hundred, or a thousand, or even a million years away - or even next year! His return is imminent. So, how shall we live for Christ in the “last hour”? Let me suggest briefly: 1) Reorder your priorities in life in the light of eternity; 2) Stand on the Word of God; 3) Believe in the power of God and rely on the Holy Spirit; 4) Persist in prayer; 5) View your material possessions from eternal perspective; 5) Share the Good News passionately; and 6) “Fix your eyes upon Jesus” (Hebrews 12:2). Don’t caught up in the world that we live thinking about anything but the return of Jesus. It is our “blessed hope” (Titus 2:13). Dear Children of God, are you ready?

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Jesus the Coming King

His Majesty. The emperor of Judah. The soaring eagle of eternity. The noble admiral of the Kingdom. All the splendour of heaven revealed in a human body. For a period ever so brief, the doors to the throne room were open and God came near. His Majesty was seen. Heaven touched the earth and, as a result, earth can know heaven. In astounding tandem a human body housed divinity. Holiness and earthliness intertwined.

This is no run-of-the-mill messiah. His story was extraordinary. He called Himself divine, yet allowed a minimum-wage Roman soldier to drive a nail into His wrist. He demanded purity, yet stood for the rights of a repentant whore. He called men to march, yet refused to allow them to call him King. He sent men into all the world, yet equipped them with only bended knees and memories of a resurrected carpenter…

Let’s follow His sandalprints. Let’s sit on the cold, hard floor of the cave in which He was born. Let’s smell the sawdust of the carpentry shop. Let’s hear His sandals slap the hard trails of Galilee. Let’s sigh as we touch the healed sores of the leper. Let’s smile as we see His compassion with the woman at the well. Let’s cringe as we hear the hissing of hell’s Satan. Let’s let our voices soar with the praises of the multitudes. Let’s try to see Him.

One warning. Something happens to a person who has witnessed His Majesty. He became addicted. One glimpse of the King and you are consumed by a desire to see more of Him and say more about Him. Pew-warning is no longer an option. Junk religion will no longer suffice. Sensation-seeking is needless. Once you have seen His face you will forever long to see it again.

[From God Came Near by Max Lucado]

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Get Ready to Meet my love, Jamie Sullivan

I had long ago fall in love with a girl named Jamie Sullivan (played by Mandy Moore) in a movie called A Walk to Remember; story based on a bestselling author, Nicholas Sparks. She is so wonderful, sweet, simple, and strong and knows how to bring out the best in someone else’s life. Oh Jamie, I’m so in love with you.

When I was in college, I imagined that one day I might find someone like her. I want to believe that she was out there. So I always prepare a song to sing for her. But as you might suspect, she seems impossible to appear. She gave no indication, however, when she might suddenly come into my life. Maybe not, I said to myself. But what if she’s here all of a sudden, I don’t know. All I care was that I want to practice the song as well as I could, so that if she might appear; maybe during early morning class, afternoon lunch at canteen or late evening after football –  I’m ready to impress her with my voice. I know what I’ll do. I’ll just keep practicing the song all the time!

But it was my imagination…
something that I hope will happen...
to meet Jamie Sullivan.

Today I long for something else. Something that is much more real and very significant in my life [In our life if you want to join me]. That is; the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Both the Old and the New Testaments are filled with promises of the second coming. Paul Lee Tan writes, “There are 1,845 references to it in the Old Testament… of the 260 chapters in the entire New Testament, there are 318 references to the second coming, or 1 out of 30 verses. 23 of the 27 New Testament books refer to this great event… For every prophesy on the 1^st coming of Christ, there are 8 on Christ’s 2^nd coming.” This is amazing! And perhaps one of the most important event in the Universe (after the Cross)! And it’s real! Oh Jesus, I’m longing for you.

Jesus is coming. He said, “When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am” (John 14:3). He may come any time now. “You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected” (Matthew 24:44). No matter when that grand event maybe, He will surely come. “Yes, I am coming soon!” (Revelation 22:20).

The question now is, will you be ready when He come? Have you prepare ‘a song to sing’ for Him? To those who are so-called ‘not prepared’, those who have rejected the claims of Jesus (as King and Savior) will face eternal punishment, as the Bible tell us, in hell. But for those who have believed in the gospel ‘of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ’ (Acts 20:21ESV), the so-called ‘prepared’ followers, rejoice! Do not fear, for you will live for eternity in the presence of God in Heaven. You will discover that in God’s presence ‘there is fullness of joy’ and at His ‘right hand are pleasures forevermore’ (Psalm 16:11ESV).

This is not the production of imagination, this is God’s promises that will come true…

this is something that I’m expected to surely happen…

to meet the Living God, the victorious King.
“Amen! Come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20)

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

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*Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from New Living Translation, NLT, copyright ©1996, 2004 by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.