Consider the words of the Lord Jesus in Matthew 7, words that are part of the sermon on the mount. The Savior told us that there are two very different roads through life and two very different destinations in the next life. There is nothing more important in the lives of our spouses and children – and in our own life also – as having the assurance of a home in Heaven when this life ends. Years ago, one very wise person said that a person is not ready to live until he is ready to die. Please join us as we consider from the Bible how people can be sure of Heaven because of the Savior’s mighty work at Calvary.

Generally, people take great pains to plan their vacation, carefully reading what their chosen destination is like. Strangely, few people seem to investigate what Heaven is like or how to be sure to arrive there after life here ends. When we examine the Bible’s description of Heaven, we find the Lord Jesus described it as a paradise – and He ought to know! He came from there, returned there after His resurrection, and promised to bring everyone who trusts Him safely there for eternity. Please don’t make the mistake of spending more time planning your 2-week vacation than you do preparing for your eternal home.

If God had a calendar, and we could see it, we would notice that the next event He is planning is the return of His Son, the Lord Jesus, to bring His people safely home to Heaven. For lack of a better term, we call this the Rapture. Throughout history, many would-be modern (and false!) prophets have tried to predict when it will happen, ignoring the Bible’s warning against such speculation – and they’ve always been wrong. We have NO intention of making foolish predictions. Instead, we’ll look at what Scripture actually says about how and why this event will occur – and why being ready for it means being ready to live with God forever.

I find that no matter where I preach, the people in any audience I am privileged to address have at least this one thing in common: we all have loved ones whom we have buried. They have left us and gone into eternity. Let’s look into what people in Heaven are doing and the Bible’s description of who goes there. You will be able to take that description and compare it with your experience to see whether you too will be in Heaven when you die.

Compared with many other countries, Israel is such a tiny nation. Yet it stands at the center of God’s future dealings with this world. There is not a person on the face of the earth who has not been affected by the Jewish people. They gave us God’s Word and, through them, the Lord Jesus entered our world. In the not-too-distant future, that nation once again will play a vital role. Centuries ago, the angels announced to shepherds in Bethlehem that the Savior was born. The next time that Savior comes to this world it will be as King of Kings and He will come to Jerusalem to reign forever and ever. Will you be in that wonderful kingdom?

Meliorism is the belief that the world can be made better by human effort. This has been an age-old hope of mankind, frustratingly out of our reach. Rather than the world’s improving, the Bible says it will face the outbreak of a massive war in the Middle East, spear-headed by Russia and involving a bloc of European, African, and Islamic nations. This topic forcibly reminds us that true and lasting peace can only come to our world – and to our heart – through the Prince of Peace, the Lord Jesus.

War always brings with it attendant miseries like supply chain problems, famine, disease, and death. To convey the force and speed with which these societal and economic problems will burst on our world, Revelation chapter 6 employs the image of war horses charging into battle. We will look at the Bible’s unerring description of the horrific events of these coming days. Since the entire world will be involved, your knowing what the Bible says about salvation will enable you and your loved ones to escape these terrible events.

At the 1991 symposium of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, one speaker pointed out that eliminating the Bible has cost society a moral theory to support the ethics the Bible conveyed. His novel solution was that somebody needed to concoct a “noble lie…so compelling that it can’t be resisted…one that deceives us, tricks us, compels us beyond self-interest…” That “lie” will not be noble; rather, it will result in unprecedented carnage and destruction. It will be a lie foisted by the most malevolent and deceitful ruler the world has ever known. He is often called the Antichrist. The Bible calls him “The Beast.” Listen to what the Bible teaches about this coming world ruler and how you can avoid “the lie” by trusting the Savior Who is “The Truth.”

Throughout history, ancient Babylon has always fascinated world rulers – people like Alexander the Great and Napolean among them. In the future, this city will be rebuilt by the Beast and will be the economic center of his global empire. It will be a city filled with unspeakable evil and unmentionable crime. And just prior to Armageddon, it will be destroyed by God’s power. But the Bible reveals a heavenly City built by God that will last forever. In that city, there will be no night, no sorrow, no tears, and no death. Every saved person is a citizen of that heavenly City as well as of the country in which he or she lives. Do you have that wonderful dual citizenship? Listen to how you can have this wonderful and priceless assurance.

Throughout the prophecies of the Old Testament, God’s prophets spoke of a coming time when God would intervene just as His ancient people (the nation of Israel) were on the verge of annihilation by their enemies. The New Testament provides the details and tells us that the very Person Whom we crowned with thorns and hanged on a tree is coming back to put an end to the mismanagement of the planet and to rescue humanity from self-destruction. He will be crowned as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Salvation is NOT through belonging to “the right church” or living well enough to deserve it. Salvation is by knowing God through faith in His Son the Lord Jesus.

“Utopia” was the word used by English humanist Sir Thomas More in 1516 when referring to an imaginary place of ideal perfection. It actually comes from the Greek words “ou” (not, no) and “topos” (place). So, literally, there is “no place” that is a utopia. But there will be! This world is going to enjoy a golden age of peace, equity, righteousness, and security. All this will only be possible when the right Man in on the throne, and that Man is the Lord Jesus. Sometimes when people are trying to describe something that is wonderful they will tell you to be sure you don’t miss it. Well, be sure you don’t miss this wonderful future. Be sure you don’t miss having Christ as your Savior.

Apart from the topic of salvation, there is not another subject about which people are more confused than “The Day of Judgment.” We will investigate what the Bible teaches and how you can be safe from judgment for your sins through the Savior Who died for our sins at Calvary.