IT'S TIME TO LOOK TO THE WORD OF GOD TODAY. AND AS WE DO THAT, I WANT US TO TALK ABOUT THIS THING THAT WE HAVE BEEN SINGING ABOUT. EVERY SONG TODAY HAS TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HEAVEN AND ABOUT GOING THERE. WE DON'T KNOW A LOT ABOUT HEAVEN. NOW I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY GOD TOLD US A WHOLE LOT MORE ABOUT HELL, THEN HE DID ABOUT HEAVEN. I KNOW HE MUST HAVE HAD A GOOD REASON. MAYBE, HE DIDN'T WANT TO DIVULGE ALL THE SECRETS OF HEAVEN. JUST WANTED TO GIVE US A LITTLE GLIMPSE TO SEE, OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WERE GOING TO BE THERE. AND MAYBE HE KNOWS BETTER THAN WE DO, THAT OUR MINDS COULD NEVER FATHOM ALL OF THE BEAUTY AND THE SPLENDOR THAT IS AWAITING US. WE KNOW THAT GOD HAS GIVEN US THE PROMISE THAT SOMEDAY SOON WE'LL GO THERE. SOME OF US MAY GO BEFORE OTHERS AS WE GO BY WAY OF THE GRAVE. SURELY AND SADLY, THAT THIS WEEK, THIS MINISTRY WILL SAY GOODBYE TO SOME FOLK THAT HAVE WATCHED US FOR A LONG TIME, BUT THEY WILL COME TO THE END OF THEIR JOURNEY AND THEY'LL SAY GOODBYE TO THIS WORLD. AND THEY'LL ENTER THE GATES OF HEAVEN. THE BIBLE TELLS US, "TO BE ABSENT FROM THE BODY IS TO BE PRESENT WITH THE LORD." AND I JUST HAPPEN TO BE ONE OF THOSE THAT BELIEVES THAT AS SOON AS THIS LIFE IS OVER, WE ARE ENTERED INTO THE PRESENCE OF GOD. SOME FOLK DON'T BELIEVE THAT WAY AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO ARGUE OVER IT, BECAUSE IT REALLY DOESN'T MATTER. WHAT WE DO KNOW IS, IS THAT HEAVEN IS A PLACE OF DESTINY FOR EVERY CHILD OF GOD THAT WILL LIVE THEIR LIVES AS UNTO THE LORD. NOW, I KNOW THAT WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH. ISN'T THIS A FEARFUL DAY THAT WE LIVE IN? AS WE'VE ALREADY MENTIONED, THE BIBLE SAYS THAT, "MEN'S HEARTS WILL FAIL THEM FOR FEAR, OF THE THINGS THAT ARE COMING ON THIS EARTH." WE'RE LIVING IN A DREADFUL DAY OF MANY THINGS TAKING PLACE. AND IT MAY BE THAT THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WATCHING THIS MINISTRY TODAY, WHO ARE HAVING TO DEAL WITH A TROUBLED HEART OVER THE THINGS THAT HAVE COME UPON THE EARTH. WELL, FOR YOU TODAY, I'VE CHOSEN A VERSE OF SCRIPTURE, THAT I HOPE WILL HELP. IN THE BOOK OF JOHN, THE 14TH CHAPTER, THERE'S SOME VERSES HERE AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS CHAPTER THAT I WANT TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT YOU ARE REMINDED OF TODAY. DON'T LOSE HOPE JUST BECAUSE THINGS ARE NOT GETTING BETTER AND GOD HASN'T RETURNED. WE HOPE FOR BOTH OF THOSE THINGS. WE HOPE THAT THINGS WILL GET BETTER. MAYBE THEY WILL, MAYBE THEY WON'T. I KIND OF THINK THAT THINGS WON'T GET BETTER, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THE WORD OF GOD PROPHESIES TO OUR LIVES, THAT THINGS WILL GET WORSE. I DO KNOW THIS, MY HEART TELLS ME THAT GOD IS GETTING READY TO RETURN. AND WHEN HE COMES, HE WILL CALL US AWAY. AND THIS VERSE WILL HELP YOU WITH THAT DAY. IN JOHN 14, BEGINNING WITH VERSE 1, IT SAYS THIS, RIGHT AT THE VERY BEGINNING "LET NOT YOUR HEART BE TROUBLED, YE BELIEVE IN GOD, BELIEVE ALSO IN ME. IN MY FATHER'S HOUSE ARE MANY MANSIONS. IF IT WERE NOT SO, I WOULD HAVE TOLD YOU. I GO TO PREPARE A PLACE FOR YOU. AND IF I GO AND PREPARE A PLACE FOR YOU, I WILL COME AGAIN AND RECEIVE YOU UNTO MYSELF, THAT WHERE I AM, THERE YE MAY BE ALSO." WHAT A PROMISE THE LORD IS GIVING TO US. HE'S ANSWERING SEVERAL THINGS IN THESE 3 VERSES OF SCRIPTURE. FIRST OF ALL, HE'S LETTING US KNOW THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO LIVE WITH A TROUBLED HEART. THAT WE CAN BELIEVE IN HIM AND HIS PROMISES AND KNOW THAT THEY ARE TRUE. IN THE MIDST OF SO MANY THINGS HAPPENING AROUND US TODAY, IT'S AWFUL EASY TO GET FOCUSED ON THOSE THINGS AND BEGIN TO LOSE FAITH, WHICH IN TURN CAUSES US TO LOSE HEART. WE'LL WORRY AND WE'LL WORRY AND WE'LL WORRY NOT REALIZING, WORRY NEVER SOLVED ANYTHING. IN THIS WORLD THAT SEEMS TO BE SO OUT OF CONTROL TODAY, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO REALIZE THAT AS MUCH AS IT APPEARS TO BE OUT OF CONTROL, GOD STILL HAS EVERYTHING UNDER CONTROL. WE SEE AND HEAR OF ALL THESE THINGS THAT HAVE COME UPON THE EARTH AND IT REALLY SHOULDN'T SURPRISE US, BECAUSE THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS, THE BIBLE PROPHESIES THAT THERE WILL BE TIMES LIKE THESE BEFORE HE COMES. THESE THINGS ARE SHAKING US UP. AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS THIS, I BELIEVE IN THE APOSTATE STATE OF MAN. THAT PLACE AND THAT TIME WHERE MAN HAS FALLEN AWAY FROM GOD. GOD IS MAKING ONE LAST ATTEMPT TO WAKE US OUT OF OUR STUPOR. AND TO HELP US TO REALIZE THAT WE ARE IN THE END OF DAYS. AND THAT GOD IS GOING TO RETURN AND THAT WE NEED TO BE READY FOR HIS ARRIVAL. SHOULD I REMIND YOU ONCE AGAIN, THAT WHEN HE COMES THERE IS NO PRE-ANNOUNCEMENT OF HIS COMING. HE COMES WITHOUT WARNING. THE BIBLE SAYS, "NO MAN KNOWS THE DAY NOR THE HOUR." YOU CAN TRY EVERY FORMULA YOU CAN FIND TO TRY AND YOU'LL NEVER KNOW WHAT DAY, WHAT HOUR, WHAT MINUTE, HE IS GOING TO COME. OH, I KNOW RIGHT NOW, SOME WOULD SAY, "WELL, THAT WOULD MAKE IT SO MUCH EASIER. IF WE KNEW THE EXACT TIME, WE COULD BE SURE THAT WE WERE READY." I WISH THAT I COULD AGREE WITH THAT. BUT WHAT MY HEART AND WHAT EXPERIENCE TELLS ME IS, THAT EVEN IF WE KNEW THE DAY, SOME OF US WOULD PUT IT OFF AND FORGET AT THE LAST MOMENT, THAT WE WERE TO BE PREPARED. SOME OF US WOULD LIVE A LIFE THAT MAY, I DON'T LIKE TO THINK ABOUT THIS, BUT SOME OF US MAY LIVE A LIFE THAT WOULD CAUSE US TO THROW AWAY OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. AND IN THAT, WE WOULD NOT BE FOUND READY WHEN HE ARRIVED. YOU SEE, WHAT YOU DO TODAY IS VITALLY IMPORTANT. WE HAVE TO WALK WITH GOD TODAY BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHETHER OR NOT TODAY IS GOING TO BE THE DAY. I ENCOURAGE YOU, THAT NO MATTER WHAT YOU'RE GOING THROUGH, WHAT YOU'RE GOING THROUGH IS NOT MORE IMPORTANT THAN BEING READY FOR CHRIST WHEN HE COMES. HE COMES UNEXPECTEDLY, SUDDENLY. WHETHER HE COMES FOR US COLLECTIVELY AS THE BODY OF CHRIST, OR HE COMES FOR US INDIVIDUALLY AS A CHILD OF GOD. HE WILL COME. AND WE NEED TO BE READY FOR HIS COMING. NOW, THE PART OF THAT VERSE THAT SAYS, "LET NOT YOUR HEART BE TROUBLED," ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO REST SECURE IN IS KNOWING THAT WE CAN BE READY. OH, THE ENEMY OF OUR LIFE WOULD LIKE US TO THINK THAT BECAUSE OF OUR SINFUL PAST, GOD WOULD NEVER ACCEPT US AND GOD WOULD CERTAINLY NEVER COME FOR US AND TAKE US TO A PLACE LIKE HEAVEN. BUT THAT'S A LIE OF OUR ENEMY. HE TELLS YOU THAT TO KEEP YOU FROM RECEIVING THE PROMISE THAT GOD HAS GIVEN TO YOU. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOUR PAST IS. HEAR ME TODAY SINNER FRIEND, HEAR ME TODAY BACKSLIDER, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOUR YESTERDAYS HOLD. ALL THAT MATTERS IS, WHAT ARE YOU DOING TODAY TO REACH OUT TO GOD? IF YOU REACH OUT TO GOD AND ASK GOD TO FORGIVE, THE BIBLE TELLS US, THAT GOD IS FAITHFUL TO FORGIVE US. AND WHEN GOD FORGIVES US, HE JUSTIFIES US. WHICH MEANS TO US THAT HE MAKES IT SO, THAT IT'S LIKE IT NEVER HAPPENED. YOU CAN CONTINUE TO ASK GOD TO FORGIVE YOU OF THAT SAME SIN OVER AND OVER AGAIN, BUT GOD'S SITTING ON HIS THRONE AND PARDON ME FOR SAYING IT LIKE THIS, BUT GOD IS SITTING ON HIS THRONE AND HE'S LOOKING OVER TO THE ANGELS AND SAYING, "WHAT'S HE TALKING ABOUT, WHEN I LOOK AT HIS PAST I DON'T SEE THAT SIN. ALL I SEE IS THE BLOOD OF MY SON." YOU SEE, THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST WASHES OUR SIN AWAY. NO MATTER HOW DEEP THAT STAIN OF SIN HAS GONE. WHEN HE FREES US FROM THAT DEBT OF SIN, HE MAKES IT POSSIBLE FOR US TO LOOK FORWARD TO HEAVEN AS OUR ETERNAL HOME. BECAUSE IN GOD'S REDEMPTIVE TOUCH, HE MAKES A MANSION FOR YOU AND I, A PLACE THAT WE CAN GO. AND THAT'S WHAT HE'S TELLING US IN VERSE 2 AND 3. HE SAID, HE WAS GOING TO PREPARE A PLACE FOR US. AND IF HE WENT TO PREPARE A PLACE FOR US, HE WAS COMING TO GET US SO THAT WHERE HE WAS WE COULD BE. NOW I CAN'T EVEN BEGIN TODAY, WITH MY LIMITED IMAGINATION, TO PAINT A PICTURE OF WHAT HEAVEN IS GOING TO BE LIKE. I HEAR ABOUT THE MANSIONS FAIR. I HEAR ABOUT THE GATES OF PEARL THE WALLS OF JASPER, THE STREETS OF GOLD AND I CONFESS, AS HARD AS I'VE TRIED, I CAN'T EVEN BEGIN TODAY, TO IMAGINE WHAT THAT'S GOING TO BE LIKE. I'VE VISITED SOME MANSIONS THAT MAN HAS MADE. MUSEUMS NOW, BUT ONCE WERE HOMES THAT PEOPLE LIVED IN, ALBEIT FOR JUST A FEW DAYS OF THE YEAR. I LOOK AT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT MAN HAS CRAFTED WITH HIS HANDS AND I AM AMAZED. AND I'M APPRECIATIVE OF THEIR SKILLS AND THEIR TALENTS. BUT WE'RE HEADED TO A PLACE THAT HAS NOT BEEN FASHIONED BY THE HANDS OF MAN. GOD HAS BEEN MAKING THESE MANSIONS FOR US. HE HAS BEEN PREPARING THIS PLACE THAT WE'RE GOING. AND IN ANTICIPATION OF ALL OF OUR HEARTS DESIRES, ALL OF OUR DREAMS AND WISHES, GOD HAS PREPARED A PLACE THAT HE'S GOING TO TAKE US TO. AND I CAN'T BEGIN TO IMAGINE WHAT THAT PLACE IS GOING TO BE LIKE. THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS, TO BEHOLD ALL THE BEAUTIES AND SPLENDORS OF HEAVEN, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GO THERE TO SEE IT FOR OURSELVES. AND AGAIN, I WANT TO SAY TO YOU TODAY, NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE, NO MATTER WHAT YOUR LIFE HAS BEEN, YOU CAN GO THERE IF YOU'LL JUST REACH OUT TO GOD. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO HEAVEN TODAY. EVEN THOUGH I DON'T KNOW ALL THE BEAUTY THAT IT'S GOING TO HOLD. ALTHOUGH I DON'T UNDERSTAND ALL OF THE JOY IT'S GOING TO CONTAIN. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO GOING THERE. IF GOD WERE TO COME RIGHT NOW, IT WOULD BE ALRIGHT WITH ME. WHAT AM I GOING TO LEAVE BEHIND? NOTHING OF ANY VALUE. I BELIEVE TODAY THAT MY FAMILY IS READY TO GO. THEY CERTAINLY HAVE BEEN TOLD, THEY'VE BEEN GIVEN EVERY OPPORTUNITY. JUST AS YOU, WHO ARE WATCHING TODAY, HAVE BEEN GIVEN OPPORTUNITY. I BELIEVE THEY'VE MADE THE RIGHT DECISIONS, I BELIEVE THEY LOVE THE LORD, I BELIEVE THEY'RE WALKING WITH GOD. AND SO IF GOD COMES FOR US TODAY, THE ONLY THING THAT I WOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT WOULD BE MY FAMILY. AND I'M GOING TO BE ABLE TO TAKE THEM WITH ME. I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE I WANT TO STAY HERE FOR. WHAT HAS THIS WORLD GIVEN TO ME? OH, IT'S BEEN GOOD TO ME, BUT AT TIMES, IT'S BEEN VERY UNKIND TO ME, LET'S PUT IT THAT WAY. BEEN VERY UNKIND. ITS BROUGHT SORROW, ITS BROUGHT SOME TIMES OF MISERY, ITS BROUGHT SOME TIMES OF AFFLICTION. YOU SEE, YOU CAN'T LIVE IN THIS SINFUL WORLD WITHOUT EXPERIENCING THOSE THINGS. IT RAINS ON THE JUST AND THE UNJUST. YOU MAY NOT HAVE DONE ANYTHING THAT INVITED THESE TROUBLES UPON YOUR LIFE, YET, THESE TROUBLES HAVE COME UPON YOUR LIFE. THAT'S THIS WORLD THAT WE LIVE IN. BECAUSE WE LIVE IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE THERE IS SIN ABOUNDING, BAD THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE. BUT WE'RE HEADED TO A PLACE TODAY, WHERE GOD WILL PREVENT THOSE THINGS FROM EVER HAPPENING AGAIN. WHEN I THINK ABOUT ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO BE IN HEAVEN, I HAVE TO ALSO THINK ABOUT THE THINGS THAT ARE NOT GOING TO BE IN HEAVEN. FIRST OF ALL THERE WILL BE NO GRAVEYARDS, NO CEMETERIES IN HEAVEN. SECONDLY, THERE WILL BE NO HOSPITALS IN HEAVEN. THIRDLY, THERE WILL BE NO JAILS, NO PRISONS IN HEAVEN. FOURTHLY, THERE WILL BE NO NEED OF A DOCTORS OFFICE, OR A LAWYERS OFFICE, THERE'LL BE NO NEED OF A BANK THERE WILL BE NO NEED OF A COUNSELING CENTER, OH AND THE LIST GOES ON AND ON. ALL OF THESE THINGS WILL NOT BE PRESENT IN HEAVEN. BECAUSE IN HEAVEN THERE WILL BE NO SIN THAT WILL BRING ABOUT THE NEED FOR THESE THINGS. THE ONE THING THAT WILL NEVER ENTER THROUGH THE GATES OF PEARL, IS SIN. THAT'S WHY ONLY THE REDEEMED ARE GOING. THE SINNER CAN'T GO, BECAUSE THE SINNER'S STILL LOST IN HIS SIN. HE HASN'T BEEN SEPARATED FROM THAT SIN. SO IF HE WERE TO GO TO HEAVEN HE WOULD TAKE THAT SIN WITH HIM AND IT WOULD SPOIL EVERYTHING THAT HEAVEN IS. OH, WE CAN REJOICE TODAY ABOUT HEAVEN, BECAUSE WHEN WE GET TO HEAVEN, WE'RE LEAVING BEHIND ALL OF OUR SORROWS, ALL OF OUR DIFFICULTIES, ALL OF THE CHALLENGES OF LIFE THAT WE FACE DAY IN AND DAY OUT. I CAN'T HARDLY WAIT TO GET THERE. WHEN I GET THERE, THE FIRST THING I WANT TO SEE, IS JESUS.  I'VE GOT SOME PRECIOUS FRIENDS AND LOVED ONES THAT ARE WAITING FOR ME THERE. I'M ANXIOUS TO SEE THEM ONCE AGAIN. I CAN'T HARDLY DRIVE BY A GRAVEYARD HERE IN THIS AREA, WITHOUT REMEMBERING SOMEBODY THAT WE'VE LAID TO REST THERE. AND OCCASIONALLY AS I'M DRIVING BY THOSE GRAVEYARDS, I'LL THINK ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE DOING NOW. AS THEY'RE ENJOYING THIS PLACE CALLED HEAVEN. I DON'T KNOW WHEN OUR MOMENT WILL COME. I DO KNOW, THE FIRST THING I WANT TO SEE IS JESUS. AND THEN THE SECOND THING I WANT TO SEE ARE THOSE THAT I'VE ALREADY HAD TO SAY GOODBYE TO. WE'VE GOT SO MUCH TO GO TO HEAVEN FOR TODAY. AND SO LITTLE TO STAY HERE FOR. I DON'T ENCOURAGE YOU TO WANT TO GO BEFORE YOUR TIME. BUT WHEN YOUR TIME COMES, I WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO BE READY FOR IT. BECAUSE YOUR NOT IN CONTROL OF THAT, YOU DON'T KNOW WHEN YOUR MOMENT WILL COME. IT MAY COME FOR SOME, THIS VERY DAY. AND I HAVE TO ASK YOU THIS AFTER TALKING ABOUT HEAVEN, AFTER WE'VE SUNG ALL THESE SONGS ABOUT HEAVEN, I HAVE TO ASK YOU, ARE YOU READY TO GO? WHEN JESUS CALLS YOUR NAME, WILL YOU BE ABLE TO SAY, HERE I AM AND KNOW THAT YOU'VE JUST BEEN USHERED INTO THE PRESENCE OF GOD, WHERE YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SPEND ALL OF ETERNITY WITH HIM? THERE'S AN OLD SONG THAT WE SOMETIMES SING THAT SAYS, TEN THOUSAND YEARS WE'LL JUST BE STARTED, TEN THOUSAND YEARS, WE'LL JUST HAVE BEGUN. WHAT WILL WE BE STARTED IN? WE'LL BE STARTED IN OUR WORSHIP SERVICE. THOSE FIRST TEN THOUSAND YEARS OR SO, I THINK WE'RE JUST GOING TO FALL AT THE FEET OF JESUS AND PRAISE HIM AND WORSHIP HIM. AFTER ALL, WHO'S IN A HURRY, WE'VE GOT ALL OF ETERNITY. AND ETERNITY'S GOING TO BE A VERY LONG PLACE. I'VE HAD SOME FAMILY MEMBERS THAT HAVE LIVED GOOD LONG, LONG LIVES. I CAN ONLY HOPE THAT I WILL LIVE AS LONG AS SOME OF THEM. I DON'T HAVE ANY GUARANTEES OF THAT. BUT I'M GOING TO LIVE FOR JESUS AS LONG AS I LIVE. SO THAT WHEN I NO LONGER LIVE, I CAN LIVE IN HIS PRESENCE. HOW ABOUT YOU TODAY? WILL YOU BE READY FOR HIM WHEN HE COMES? I WANT TO PRAY FOR YOU TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT YOU ARE. HEAVENLY FATHER, RIGHT NOW, AFTER ALL THAT WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT HEAVEN TODAY, I HOPE THAT EVERY PERSON UNDER THE SOUND OF MY VOICE IS READY TO MEET YOU SHOULD THIS BE THEIR DAY. IF THEY'RE NOT READY, HELP THEM TO BE PREPARED, HELP THEM TO GET READY TODAY, EVEN BEFORE THIS SERVICE REACHES A CONCLUSION. IN JESUS' NAME I ASK IT, AMEN.