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5 Lessons From King Jehoshaphat

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  As you read through the books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles, you see that most kings of Israel and Judah paid lip service to Almighty God, but they didn’t obey Him. They thought they could mix worship of the true God with idolatry and paganism, just as most people do today. Some kings of Judah did follow God, but not with loyal hearts. When troubles and tribulations arose, they became fearful and wandered off His path. Or, after being blessed by God for their obedience, they became puffed up with pride and forgot Him. But a few other kings of Judah truly set their hearts on God and on walking in His ways, and they remained faithful until they drew their last breath. Yet, like us all, these men, too, had their flaws. Sometimes their human nature got the best of them, and they strayed from the path until God corrected them. The apostle Paul explained to the congregation in Rome, “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience ...

Death: What is Paradise?

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As the title of this post would imply, we’re going to answer the question: What is paradise? The reason this is even a question is that some hold a view that paradise is a holding area that’s not in heaven or God’s presence for the righteous dead. Mainly, this is based on the account in which Jesus tells the thief on the cross that today he would be with Jesus in paradise.  Luke 23:42 NKJV - Then he said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom." Luke 23:43 NKJV - And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise." However, even those who advocate for heaven as a literal destination immediately upon death recognize the problems in reading this as a literal, immediate entrance into paradise present. Number one: Jesus did not enter heaven for at least three days, and He did not see His Father’s face during that time either (John 20:17).  Thus, to take this statement from Jesus literally instead of as a future pr...