Good Things To Come
1. A Journey To Discover Good Things To Come
As I closed out the last devotional I was not sure what my next focus would be. Sometimes I get inspiration from a sermon, or even a song. At other times God speaks to me through things that I see or things that happen in my life. I had been praying that God would show me which direction to take as I sat down for my daily Bible reading. In finishing the book of Hebrews I noticed two verses which had the same little phrase, "good things to come." These are the only two verses in the Bible that are worded this way, and they were fulfilled by the coming of Christ, but there are many "good things" in the Bible that we can explore. God revealed many "good things to come" to John in the book of Revelation. So today we are beginning our journey to discover "good things to come."
"But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;" (Hebrews 9:11)
"For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect." (Hebrews 10:1)
2. Christ, Our High Priest Of Good Things To Come
Let's begin with the verses from the book of Hebrews.
"11 But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;...
24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:
25 Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others;
26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
1 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect." (Hebrews 9:11, 24-28 and 10:1)
The Old Testament believers were under the law and they had to offer sacrifices to pay for their sin. It was impossible to keep the law because if they failed in one part, they were guilty, even if they did it unknowingly. Christ became our High Priest and our Sacrifice because He gave Himself to die for our sin, once and for all. Verse 24 above gives us a wonderful picture of "good things to come" in that He has risen from the dead and is in heaven, "now to appear in the presence of God for us:" We do not have to offer sacrifices to cover our sin. We have Jesus, God's only Son, and that is a very good thing!
3. The Best Is Yet To Come
We are going to jump right in and look at the best thing to come, or I should say, the Best One to come, and that will be the coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Jesus came the first time as a baby, the Lamb of God, born in a stable and laid in a manger. The next time He comes He will come as The King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And those who have believed on Him for salvation will rise to meet Him in the air. That is the best yet to come!
"13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words." (I Thessalonians 4:13-18)
4. No More Sin - A Good Thing To Come
For those of us old enough to remember, 9-11-01 will always hold a solemn place in our hearts. In memory of 9-11 I want to share our verse in Hebrews 9:11 again. "But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;" Because of the sinfulness of this world we suffer at the hands of the lost. But, because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ we will live eternally in a home without sin. "So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation." (Hebrews 9:28) We won't have to worry about someone stealing our belongings in heaven. We will live without fear that someone will harm us in any way. The King of Kings will reign and there will be no need for law enforcement officials. Pride, deceitfulness, wickedness, and any other sinful condition will be done away with in our heavenly country. What a wonderful life it will be without sin!
5. No More Death - A Good Thing To Come
Does anything bring more tears to our eyes and more sorrow to our hearts than pain and death? As Christians we have hope in Christ that we will see our Christian brothers and sisters again in eternity, but it is still hard to tell them good-bye in this life. We miss them after they are gone. We remember the good times we had together and that makes it hard to be apart. One day all that pain and sorrow will be put behind us forever. What a day that will be! "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away." (Revelation 21:4)
6. No More Storms - A Good Thing To Come
I live in North Carolina and even though I don't live in the coastal area, our local weathermen are telling us to "Be prepared" for Hurricane Florence. We went to the grocery store and bought milk and bread and food for sandwiches, before the shelves emptied. Michael filled his truck up with gas, at a higher price than it was a day or two ago. My sister lives near the beach and she brought some friends and family up here to stay with Mom until the storm passes over. This storm has been tracked for days and has been called a catastrophic hurricane which will cause great damage. There were storms in Bible days, but Jesus had power to calm the storms.
"37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.
38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?
39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?
41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?" (Mark 4:37-41)
With His great power, we can be assured that there will be no storms in heaven. In thinking about all who are making preparations for the storm, I can't help but wonder how many have made preparations for eternity.
7. Thanksgiving - A Good Thing To Come
I am looking forward to Thanksgiving! I love having my family near to celebrate that special time of year! I not only like the taste of the turkey and dressing, and Mom's pumpkin pie, I like the smell that fills the house while they are cooking. I enjoy the fall weather, a break from the summer heat, but not yet the freezing cold of winter. Most of all, I like the fact that we set aside a day to pause and give thanks to our Lord above. We can thank Him everyday, before we eat our meals and as we lay down to go to sleep each night, but Thanksgiving Day is special because we join together and give God thanks with the ones we love. Thanksgiving Day really is a good thing to come!
"Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name." (Psalm 100:4)
8. New Heaven And A New Earth
I feel blessed when I am reading in my Bible and the Lord shows me a verse that I can use for my daily devotions. In reading II Peter I came across another good thing to come. "Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." (II Peter 3:13) This is a great promise that we can look forward to. Not only has God prepared a new heavenly home for us, but this sin cursed world will be gone and we will enjoy a new earth "wherein dwelleth righteousness." This reiterates our message last Tuesday, "No More Sin". I have oftened wondered what life would have been like in the garden of Eden before sin. I believe heaven and the new earth will be much greater than I could ever imagine! And I get to go there!
"1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful." (Revelation 21:1-5)
9. The Marriage Supper Of The Lamb
It was a joy planning my daughter's wedding. We didn't spend an extravagant amount of money, but it was still very pretty. As I was thinking about the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, I thought about how God is not limited in riches, so I am sure it will exceed all of our expectations. People talk about choosing the right wedding venue, but I have not seen one that has a street of gold, or walls of jasper. He is not limited to space, so heaven will be filled with all those who accepted the invitation. God is even providing the wedding garments. God is the Alpha and Omega, so He is not limited to time. We will be able to rejoice with the Lamb through eternity. We will have glorified bodies so we won't have to worry about food allergies. What a wonderful celebration that will be!
"5 And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.
6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God." (Revelation 19:5-9)
10. Good Things Come Through Prayer
Hurricane Florence was expected to make landfall as a category 4 or 5 storm, but came down to a level 1 storm before making landfall. North Carolina is still experiencing damage from the heavy rains and wind, but it is much better than what was predicted. I have seen pictures of people praying all across our state and I believe that God has heard and aswered our prayers. Someone once told me that prayer and belief in God was for the weak. That person meant it as in insult to me, but I learned at a very young age that I am weak, but He is strong. "Jesus loves me, this I know. For the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong, They are weak, but He is strong. Yes, Jesus loves me..." So I pray, and I am so thankful that God hears, and good things come through prayer.
"1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time." (I Timothy 2:1-6)
11. Good Things Come To Those That Wait On The Lord
I feel sorry for the people who have flood damage to their homes and they can't even get back to see how bad it really is. It must be so hard for them to wait, whether sitting in shelters, or in the homes of friends. There are many times in our lives when it is hard for us to wait. There is an old saying that says, "All things come to those who wait." I think a better version of the saying would be, "Good things come to those who wait on the Lord." When we are just waiting, we often fear the unknown. But when we are waiting on the Lord He gives us hope, and strength, and courage. There are several verses from God's Word telling us to wait on God. God is The Creator and He can handle even the hardest situations when we put our trust in Him.
"The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD." (Lamentations 3:25-26)
"Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD." (Psalm 27:14)
"28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.
29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." (Isaiah 40:28-31)
12. Not Good For Everyone
I don't know how I got so far ahead in my Bible reading, but it is so appropriate that I am reading in the book of Revelation as we are talking about "Good Things To Come." But, as I get farther into the book I am reminded that not all of the things to come are good for everyone. God is holy and righteous and He is going to judge the earth. When the sixth seal is opened men are so afraid they try to hide in caves and call for the mountains to fall on them and hide them from the wrath of God.
"12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?" (Revelation 6:12-17)
Later, the vials of wrath are opened. "And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth." (Revelation 16:1) "And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war." (Revelation 19:11) Christians are looking for the day of the Lord, but for those who do not know the Lord it will be a day of war and darkness, as described by the prophet Amos. Are you ready for Lord to come? Will you have life eternal in heaven or everlasting judgment in hell?
"18 Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light.
19 As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him.
20 Shall not the day of the LORD be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?" (Amos 5:18-20)
13. Do Good Things Come From Us?
In reading the Old Testament it seems as though there were messengers who ran to bear good news, and other runners who ran to deliver bad news. In the story of the death of Absalom, Joab sends Cushi to go tell King David that his son was killed in battle. "Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok yet again to Joab, But howsoever, let me, I pray thee, also run after Cushi. And Joab said, Wherefore wilt thou run, my son, seeing that thou hast no tidings ready? But howsoever, said he, let me run. And he said unto him, Run. Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and overran Cushi." (II Samuel 18:22-23) "And the watchman said, Me thinketh the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. And the king said, He is a good man, and cometh with good tidings." (II Samuel 18:27) Ahimaaz wanted to give King David good news about the battle, before Cushi gave him the bad news. We see another example in I Kings 1:42, "And while he yet spake, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came: and Adonijah said unto him, Come in; for thou art a valiant man, and bringest good tidings." And again in Isaiah 52:7, "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!"
When our friends see us coming are they glad to see us, knowing that we usually bring good tidings? Or, are we as a talebearer in Proverbs 18:8? "The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly." In the New Testament they are described as tattlers and busybodies. "And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not." (I Timothy 5:13) I have to pray and ask the Lord to help me not say things which I ought not to say. We see things and we hear things and it is hard not to share what we know, or think we know, about others. But God wants us to give out good news. If we think about the bad things in our lives that we would not want our friends to know, maybe it will help us to remember not to tell the bad or embarrassing things that we know about others.
Sharing from 2010...
14. What Looks Good Is Not Always The Best Choice
“And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar. Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lord journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other. Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom. But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.” Genesis 13:10-13
God blessed Abram with great riches in silver and gold and much cattle. When Abram went to Bethel, Lot went with him also. They had such an abundance of flocks and herds that the land would not bear them and their herdman argued and fought for the land. Abram told Lot to choose the land he wanted and they would separate themselves from each other. Lot looked out over the well watered land and chose the plains of Jordan. He chose what looked like the best place to live. We can’t always make our choices on how things look. Sodom was a wicked city, but we read that Lot “pitched his tent toward Sodom.” Abram went to Hebron and built an altar to the Lord. Lot made a poor choice on what looked like the best choice. Maybe he never really planned to enter into Sodom. But he saw that it looked good, and went towards it, and we read in Genesis 19:1 that “Lot sat in the gat of Sodom”. This was a great position in a city. We know the rest of the story. God sent His angels to tell Abram of His plans to destroy the city and Abram asked if He would destroy it for 50 righteous people in the city, then 45 righteous, all the way down to 10 righteous people in the city. And the Lord could not find even 10 righteous people. Lot finally escaped from the city with only two of his daughters. His wife looked back and became a pillar of salt. Lot paid dearly for his wrong choice. When you are at a crossroads in your life, don’t just go down the road that looks the best. Start at an altar, and ask God to show you the right direction, and He will guide you.
15. Jesus Is Coming With His Rewards
As we close our devotions on "Good Things To Come" we are looking in the last chapter of the last book of the Bible. Jesus is coming again, and I believe that it will be soon. What a joy it would be to hear the Savior say, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant:..." (Matthew 25:21) The Bible also tells us that He will give rewards and crowns.
"12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." (Revelation 22:12-14)
II Timothy 4:8 tells us of a crown of righteousness. James 1:12 speaks of a crown of life. And we read of a crown of glory in I Peter 5:4. It would be wonderful to receive a crown that I could lay at the feet of my Lord and Savior. "The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." (Revelation 4:10-11) I close with the closing words of John... "He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen." (Revelation 22:20-21)
