Forward to the Kingdom!

1. The Christian calling requires self-examination to make sure we are growing and overcoming.

The Christian life requires introspection and self-evaluation...

“Let us search out and examine our ways, and turn back to the Lord; let us lift our hearts and hands to God in heaven” (Lamentations 3:40-41; see also 2 Corinthians 13:5, 2 Peter 3:18 and Revelation 21:7).

2. If we judge ourselves, we won’t have to be corrected by God and others.

“For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged” (1 Corinthians 11:31).

3. When all is said and done, we want to hear this evaluation from our Master:

“‘His lord said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord”’” (Matthew 25:21).

For more about spiritual self-evaluation and the change it produces in us, see “What Is Repentance?”

What Bible tips would you add?

1. Jesus Christ explained that if we won’t forgive others, God won’t forgive us.

“‘And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors… For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses’” (Matthew 6:12, 14-15).

2. How often should we forgive? Lots and lots.

Is it enough to forgive seven times? No!

“Then Peter came to Him and said, ‘Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven’” (Matthew 18:21-22).

3. Though we expect more of our Christian brothers and sister, we must not forget to forgive them when they let us down.

“And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).

For more on forgiving, see “Forgive, and You Shall Be Forgiven.”

What Bible tips would you add?

1. Lack of self-control will be a sign of the end time.

Self-control trumps out of control...

“But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good” (2 Timothy 3:1-3, italics added throughout).

2. Godly self-control comes through the Holy Spirit and is necessary to overcome the works of the flesh described in Galatians 5:19-21.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).

3. Godly self-control requires making no provisions for the flesh—not allowing backup plans or harboring thoughts that could sprout into sins.

“But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts” (Romans 13:14).

For more on self-control, see “Self-Control: Governing Your Life by the Power of God.”

What Bible tips would you add?

1. The gospel is the good news of the coming Kingdom of God, brought by the future King, Jesus Christ.

“Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel’” (Mark 1:14-15).

2. God’s people feel a fervent urge to preach the gospel.

“For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!” (1 Corinthians 9:16).

3. The gospel must be preached in all the world.

“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14).

For more about preaching the gospel, see “Preaching the Gospel.”

What scriptures would you add?

1. The general attitude of the end time is not thankful.

“But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: for men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy” (2 Timothy 3:1-2, italics added).

2. It’s good to let people know we are thankful for them.

Very thankful...

“We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father” (1 Thessalonians 1:2-3).

3. We can learn a lot about giving thanks to God by studying examples in the Bible. For example:

“Oh come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms” (Psalm 95:1-2).

For more about thanksgiving, see “Thanksgiving: A Timeless Lesson.”

What are your favorite scriptures of thanksgiving?

And let me take this moment to say thank you to the reviewers, readers and commenters of this blog. I appreciate you!

The phrase “thousand years” is used nine times in the New King James Version of the Bible. Six of those are in Revelation 20. The thousand years described in that chapter has come to be known by the Latin word for thousand years, Millennium.

The Bible talks about a thousand-year period, often called the Millennium.

1. Satan and his influence will be removed for the Millennium.

“He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while” (Revelation 20:2-3).

2. The saints, converted followers of Jesus Christ, will help Him rule and judge during the Millennium.

“And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years” (Revelation 20:4).

3. The Millennium will just be the start, because those in the first resurrection will not be subject to death ever again.

“Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years” (Revelation 20:6).

For more about the Millennium, see “The Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ.”

What scriptures would you add?

1. God resists the proud but blesses the humble.

“Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for ‘God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’ Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:5-7; Peter quoted from Proverbs 3:34).

2. We should esteem others highly and look out for their interests.

Unselfishly helping others is a part of humility.

“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3-4; verses 5-8 show Christ’s example).

3. Christ said those who humble themselves will be honored.

“Whoever exalts himself [with haughtiness and empty pride] shall be humbled (brought low), and whoever humbles himself [whoever has a modest opinion of himself and behaves accordingly] shall be raised to honor” (Matthew 23:12, Amplified Bible).

For more about how to grow in humility, see “Cultivate the Spiritual Fruit of Humility.”

What scriptures would you add?

1. God hates pride.

A haughty look...

“These six things the Lord hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look…” (Proverbs 6:16-17; see also Proverbs 8:13).

2. Pride causes contention.

“Pride leads to arguments; those who take advice are wise” (Proverbs 13:10, New Living Translation).

3. Pride leads to destruction.

“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18).

For more about the problems with pride, see “Humility and Pride.” (Next time: the antidote to pride.)

What scriptures would you add?

1. God’s promises should encourage us to hang on.

“God cannot tell lies! And so his promises and vows are two things that can never be changed. We have run to God for safety. Now his promises should greatly encourage us to take hold of the hope that is right in front of us” (Hebrews 6:18, Contemporary English Version).

2. If we can encourage others, we should encourage them.

There's power in encouragement!

“If your gift is to encourage others, do it!” (Romans 12:8, New Living Translation).

3. We should encourage and help people in the way they need help.

“Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone” (1 Thessalonians 5:14, NLT).

For more about encouragement and being encouraging, see “Encouraging Words.”

What scriptures would you add?

1. Since Trumpets points to Christ’s return, Atonement foreshadows the binding of Satan and the Feast of Tabernacles pictures the first 1,000 years after Christ returns to establish the Kingdom of God, the eighth day pictures the time that follows the 1,000 years.

“Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away… And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books” (Revelation 20:11-12).

2. God wants everyone who has ever lived to have a chance to repent.

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

God will call the dead up from their graves...

3. In this second resurrection, God will offer His Holy Spirit and a chance for salvation to those who never had it.

“Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves. I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land” (Ezekiel 37:13-14).

For more about the meaning of the Last Great Day (Oct. 10 in 2009), see “The Last Great Day: Eternal Life Offered to All.”

What scriptures would you add?