Yesterday, I had the pleasure of having lunch with a friend, a person I have met because of the pain in my lower back that my choices in life have caused.  Choices were made:  the decision to play sports, the decision to drive a vehicle, the decision to act silly in my mother’s living room, the decision to lift items clearly too heavy for me, the decision to farm hard, the decision to life as a twenty-something-year-old.  Choices made in the past have affected my present condition.

Please hang onto that thought.

Yesterday, while having lunch with this new-found friend, a doctor who has become a friend to me, we sat talking over our lunch, and as we naturally do, our conversation turned to those we know who might not be ready to die, to meet Jesus.

‘Therefore’ is a word that denotes the hope of something coming, the hope of reasoning breaking forth—from what came prior, from what came before, & from what once was (as there in the past).  Thus, in order for the word ‘therefore’ to be relevant, there must be some life events that need to have already occurred.

With this in mind, let us ponder the words of the prophet Isaiah.

On a day not long ago, my brother-in-law spoke these words about himself prior to his acceptance of God’s salvation.  He said, “You know, I would have split hell wide open when I died, if I had not met Jesus.”

Thank You, Father, for saving Jeff’s soul, for giving him a Gospel witness in this world.

The Holy Spirit offered the apostle John a vision, one filled with sights, sounds, and promise.  John was led to write down the vision of what is to come (the ‘therefore’) within God’s Word.  This is God’ Revelation of what is to come in our future, those who know Jesus as Lord.

“Then I saw [John’s vision given to him by God]

1. a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.
2. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.
3. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them,
4. and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes;
5. and there will no longer be any death;
6. there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain;
7. the first things have passed away.”
8. And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.”
9. And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.”
10. Then He said to me, “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.  I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son.”

“But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, [Hell] which is the second death.”

(The Revelation To John 21: 1-8 NASB)

1. “Go therefore and
2. make disciples of all nations,
3. baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
4. teaching them to observe all that I commanded you;

and lo, I am with you always,

even to the end of the age.”

(The Gospel According to Matthew 28: 19-20 NASB)