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I want you to picture a paradise filled with happy people who do not have a care in the world, for they do not need to toil under the hot sun for life's necessities. They have nothing to fear; no doors need to be locked, no children will be abducted, and no parent will pass away, leaving their children behind, for there are no such things as death, diseases, or danger—all forces of evil have been abolished.
To top it off, the entire paradise is ruled by a loving Father-Son team, a King and a Prince who are the light for Their people; no sunlight or moonlight is necessary, for Their light of love and justice is more than sufficient.
Sound like a utopia, a fantasy world of which you can only dream? Of a certainty, it will be a utopia, but not a fantasy; it will be a dream come true forever.
Such a kingdom will soon exist, governed by the Almighty King Jehovah, who will temporarily entrust His Kingdom to His Son Jesus as the Prince of Peace; we can rest assured that love and justice will be served on end. Jesus will bring loving yet firm care to people in this Kingdom, which is Jehovah's promised paradise at last fulfilled, as he judges people in accordance to his Father's standards.
Here are some of the specific highlights of the Kingdom of God:
• People will no longer be victims of human imperfection. There will not be any illnesses, diseases, or discomforts. "Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing; for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert." (Isaiah 35:5-6, American Standard Version)
• Earth will be restored into a paradise, with no more air, land, or water pollution. "And the glowing sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water: in the habitation of jackals, where they lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes." (Isaiah 35:7)
• Abundant food and water will nourish all. "They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them will lead them, even by springs of water will he guide them." (Isaiah 49:10)
• People will no longer work in vain. Instead, they will enjoy the fruits of their labor and be filled by the crops their fields yield. "And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them." (Isaiah 65:21)
• Animals will all be tame and friendly; none will eat or harm anyone. Little children can freely play with wild animals. "And the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of Jehovah, as the waters cover the sea. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the root of Jesse, that standeth for an ensign of the peoples, unto him shall the nations seek; and his resting-place shall be glorious." (Isaiah 11:6-10)
• Happiness, peace, and love will be the main components of everyday living. Sorrow and misery will be only memories from a past that will never be relived again. "…and the ransomed of Jehovah shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads: they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away." (Isaiah 35:10)
• Any kind of discrimination will vanish. People of all nations and ethnicities will live together harmoniously. "…the time cometh, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and shall see my glory." (Isaiah 66:18)
• Finally, death is swallowed up forever. (Isaiah 25:8)
What a wonderful world it will be!
This Kingdom of God is a main reason why Jesus came to our world. He wisely used his time to proclaim the good message, not only focusing on how wonderful the heavenly government will be, but on how we can enter it.
How can you be privileged enough to step into this Kingdom, let alone live in it for eternity? What have you learned from the last several issues of my newsletter?
To recap what we have briefly gone through...
The Kingdom of God will be the home to those who...
1) Repent from their old, sinful way of living and embrace a new life, under a new Master: the Christ
2) Welcome the salvation God has graciously gifted us, through the shedding of His Son's innocent blood
3) Embrace Christian living, applying the teachings of the Christ, which are the teachings of God. Jesus was on Earth to teach, not his own messages, but of His Father—our Father. We are all sons and daughters of God and the co-heirs with Jesus when we welcome God into our daily living.
4) Are true Christians. Christians are those who accept Jesus, his ways, and apply his teachings to their everyday thoughts and actions. If a Christian is identified only by whom they believe in, then we can most certainly call Satan a Christian.
When the Kingdom of God comes, all the dead will be resurrected. Those who are alive then will naturally not be resurrected. But everyone will be changed—we will have a new body, not this earthly, physical body, but a spiritual, immortal body that will not decay or die.
Truly, this is the glorious hope that all Christians have. But we must not be selfish and keep this good news to ourselves.
When we receive good news, should we not share it? Therefore, get out there and shout to the whole world that the most wonderful paradise we could ever dream of is coming!
You may now wonder: Can we depend on Bible prophecy?
You bet! Most of the prophecies in the Bible have already been fulfilled or are being fulfilled, such as the ruining of Babylon; what was once a great city lies in ruins to this day. No other book has ever fulfilled their prophecies so accurately and completely.
However, the best reason to trust the Bible is the fact that this holy book is from Jehovah! He is the God of truth, who never lies and always fulfills His words: "For as the rain cometh down and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, and giveth seed to the sower and bread to the eater; so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." (Isaiah 55:10-11)
Keeping this fact in mind will help wipe away any doubts about the Bible we have ever had, and strengthen our faith in God's promises and plans. The faithful Jehovah will never forget us: "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, these may forget, yet will not I forget thee." (Isaiah 49:15)
~*~Q&A with Shirley~*~
This month's question is from Ed Weinsberg, Ed.D., D.D., who is an ordained rabbi, gerontologist and healthcare educator. After his successful robotic surgery for prostate cancer at Sarasota Memorial Hospital in April, 2007, he was moved to share his and others' experiences by writing the award-winning book "Conquer Prostate Cancer." He wrote the book with his contributing author, Dr. Robert Carey,a urologist and a leading robotic surgeon. www.ConquerProstateCancer.com
Question: How can you utilize your faith to heal from within? As a rabbi I have often asked myself whether faith-healing comes from outside a person, in the form of a gifted preacher, or whether the faith that heals is purely an inner phenomenon. What do Christians believe: Are non-clergy empowered to bring about self-healing, as opposed to hearing the Word of God uttered in oracular fashion by a clergyman? Can laypeople expect to heal each other, without any training in Scriptures or medicine? And can the laity bring healing no matter how complex and advanced their disease or that of another they wish to heal?
Answer: A person, regardless of their educational background, can heal oneself or others of any illness or disease, no matter how severe the condition may be, only when that person has two essential components: faith in God and the Holy Spirit.
What does faith mean? The Amplified Bible tells us: "NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses]." (Hebrews 11:1)
Therefore, faith in God is believing in and trusting Jehovah, for who He is, for His plans, purposes, and promises. As I wrote in an earlier issue, faith is really loving God. Without love, faith will be valueless. For instance, we believe the people around us—we see they exist with our own eyes; but if we do not love them, our faith does no one good.
Once we have faith in God, it is up to Him to give us His Holy Spirit. Without this gift of His power, we cannot perform any healing (unless the healing is not from God but from His opposing force). Jehovah performs everything and anything using His Holy Spirit, and He chooses to give it to anyone He wishes at any time.
How can you receive the Holy Spirit? In brief, you need to:
a) Build your life on the Word of God, on Jesus Christ, and on righteousness
b) Obey God's teachings by applying them to your daily living
c) Desire the gift of the Holy Spirit and pray for it
Then it is up to Jehovah to give you the Holy Spirit.
~*~Shirley's Corner~*~
Follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/shirleycheng
I am honored to say that my essay, "The Gift of Challenges," will be published in "Be the Star You Are! For Teens," the second book in the Be the Star You Are! series by New York Times bestselling author, radio/TV personality Cynthia Brian, whose not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation collects and distributes books and other positive media to youth at risk as a way to raise their life skills and self esteem. Please stop by her site to donate a bit of your heart to her great cause: www.bethestaryouare.org
This ends my August issue. Before September arrives, take this month to get out there to share with others the good news of our forthcoming brand-new life! I quote Jesus: "What I tell you in the darkness, speak ye in the light; and what ye hear in the ear, proclaim upon the house-tops." (Matthew 10:27)
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Best regards,
Shirley Cheng
Award-Winning Author with 20 Book Awards
9-Time Parent to Parent Adding Wisdom Award Winner
Mom's Choice Awards Recipient
Miracle survivor, inspiring author and contributing author of 25 books by age 25, poet, motivational speaker, self-empowerment expert, advocate, and a co-author in the bestselling Wake Up...Live the Life You Love book series
Board member of World Positive Thinkers Club
http://www.shirleycheng.com
Having a bad day? Then meet Shirley Cheng, A.K.A. the modern day Helen Keller, to inspire, empower, and motivate you to go for the gold medal in life!
"Although I'm blind, I can see far and wide; even though I'm disabled, I can climb high mountains. Let the ropes of hope haul you high!"
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