Will heaven be a remake of what we’ve got now? Will we still be on this planet? Some claim that heaven will be on this earth. What’s the truth? According to the Bible, everything will be new. The old things will be gone. “New heaven and new earth” (and no more sea) is a Hebrew way of saying that everything we know now will be completely new and different. There won’t be anything “same-old, same-old.” In heaven, God will dwell with us. The majesty and wonder of heaven – including the massive dimensions – show us that we are in store for blessing beyond our imagination. You won’t miss anything in heaven, but rather have everything

Earlier in this series, we talked about Judgment Day. The undeniable truth is that one day Jesus will return to judge everyone on earth. However, how will He judge? Will He judge like we would judge? Let’s hope not. For if He did, few would be in heaven. We humans readily receive the grace of God for ourselves, but we are often unwilling to grant it to others. Likewise, if God judged like we judged, there would be few in hell. We humans are very uncomfortable with hell as a place of eternal punishment. We can hardly fathom that a good and loving God would even create such a place, let alone torment people in it forever. What to do? That is why we must readily agree with God’s Word through prophet Isaiah when He says, “my thoughts are not your thoughts.” Thankfully, God sees all things and knows

Fear. This was perhaps the central sin of the second church Jesus address in the book of Revelation – the church in Smyrna. In the face of suffering, poverty, and persecution from both Rome and the Jews, He tells this church to “stop fearing!” Who better to trust, than one who identifies Himself as “the First and Last,” The One who was “dead and came back to life.” (2:8) In this brief letter to the believers in Smyrna, Jesus reminds them that any suffering that comes their way, He allows. However, their suffering will be limited, and eventually will end. But when it

What is it about the book of Revelation? It draws people to it with its mysterious intrigue – and yet people are often fearful of wading into the depths of its content. It is our hope that through this 8 week message series at Redeemer you will come away with a better understanding of this well known, yet often avoided, book of the Bible … and that you will come away encouraged. For all its talk of judgment and destruction, the book of Revelation is ultimately a message of hope for its hearers. As a literary work, it is unlike none other. It is full of imagery and drama, yet it is a book intended to be understood. And while it addresses the battle of