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Whether people believe that heaven and hell are real or not, does not change the truth. God has told us in His word that heaven and hell are real places, final destinies for saved and the unsaved. We will examine this briefly again this morning. We have been preaching through a series on "Essential Truth". This is the last of the essential, foundational, non-negotiable truths that we believe. They find their root in the Word of God, as an anchor for our faith! From these truths we continue to build our faith upon! 1. Essential Truth About the Lord our God 2. Essential Truth About the Word of God 3. Essential Truth About Man 4. Essential Truth About the Devil 5. Essential Truth About Heaven and Hell

In the world today, very few people believe that the devil exists, however there are more people that believe the devil exists than believe that God exists! According to a survey done in 2009, there are about 40 percent of church goers that believe there is a devil! I might be able to understand why those who do not attend church would not believe the devil exists, but for church goers, it is baffling. All that a person must do is to read the Bible to see that the devil is real.

Some people today believe that we are advancing to a better form of society that will eventually lead to a utopian or heaven like existence. They make note of the advancements or progress in societies, technology, global communications, and so on. Their concept of man is that we were neandrathals, not able to form a cognitive thought and now we are the product of an evolutionary process. Boy, are they blinded by the world around them. It is interesting that man would rather believe the creation, than the Creator! This morning let’s look at what the Word of God tells us about man and his purpose, condition and destiny. Last week we examined the Word of God. The absolute, unchangeable word of God. Before that we said that believing in God is of primary importance. It makes a difference between Almighty God and an imposter. Believing what His word tells us about Himself is deep and wide. We should be plummeting the depths of God and beholding the vast greatness of Who He is.

The Bible is the Book, or more correctly the Books, the Sacred Writings of God to man. In it, God has revealed Himself to us; He has told us what is truth and how to practice it in our lives. This great God we have, gave us an instruction manual, the Bible. It has 66 books which make up a single revelation of God (39 in the OT; 27 in the NT). It was penned by about 40 writers over a period of several centuries in three different languages; Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. The Bibles we have today are translations from these original texts. Listen to be reminded about the Bible.

As the years pass by, we see that referring to God in our society has become muddied. There are those who have made their gods from that which comes from man's creation, or they have made the word god, a by word or swear word. Sadly, it is because people do not know God and maybe even His people do not know Him as they should. So, it is good for us to stop and listen to reminders or refreshers about our God. In preaching I am called to speak the truth of His Word, sometimes reminding His people over again about the simple, profound truths that we hold dear. This morning, we are going to do just that.

How will you react when the nation’s monetary system collapses? Remember 1929. How will you respond when another nation takes over our country? Who will you go to if your house and possessions are confiscated? Remember Germany 1933. Who will be your strength when loved ones are plucked from you? September 11, 2001. We find ourselves today in the midst of calamity. Calamity comes and it strikes at the heart of a people who least expect it. If our faith has been exercised and been oiled by the Word of God, then we will be ready for whatever comes.

If you were presented with a life and death situation because of your faith in God, how would you respond. If a law came down from the government that you could not worship God, would you quote to me Romans 13, and say that it is ok, because we are to obey the government. Would you obey out of fear for your life? We haven’t come to that point yet, or have we? We have already been primed for this by accepting something as OK from the government or society that the Bible says is wrong; abortion, homosexuality, divorce, affairs or living together, greed, lying, and so much more. There were three men who were presented with this situation, and yet did not bow to the pressure that was placed on them. Was it because they were extraordinary believers, or were they just stupid, or did they have a death wish? As we look at this situation, I believe we will see three young men who found out the way to stand fast in their faith. It provides us with an example to follow.

In a world that is void of the meaning of Christmas and openly defies the word of God, we need to rise up, lifted by Our God to bring joy and peace to a distraught world. So, it is fitting today to consider a wonderful Psalm, that was part of the Hallel which Jesus and His disciples would have sung together as they left the Passover meal. As we ponder His birth and His sacrifice for us, we should lift our hearts in song. Songs are a great way to remember some truths that the Lord gives us. It is a song; even though we do not know the melody. These are wonderful words that we can tuck away in our hearts!

Giving thanks for our food and God’s provisions for us each day should not be a tradition that is passed down from generation to generation, but a wonderful time to truly thank the Lord for His blessings. Last time we looked at the future to learn to give thanks for our life as it unfolds before us and eternal life with Jesus. Previously we looked at giving thanks for the past when Jesus came to die for the sin of the world, providing a way of salvation to all who believe. This time we are going to look at the present. Giving thanks for our food. After all we are going to celebrate thanksgiving this week. A time of God’s provision for us.

We have a common fear of the unknown. We worry about tomorrow and what may happen in the future. When things do happen that we do not understand, we wonder where God is in all of this. As we look forward to what lies ahead, we need to press on in Christ. Philippians 3:12b-14; but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Give thanks to God for what our life is and will be as we believe in Him who loved us and gave His life for us!

Thanks. A common phrase used in our day. Giving thanks. There are three ways that it is used in the scriptures. The present, the past, and the future. The present is when we say, “thanks” for something that we are currently given. The past is when we are thankful for something that happened in the past. The future is when we give thanks for what is to come. The Greek text is εὐχαριστέω which means giving thanks In an orthodox church setting they will use the term the Eucharist. The common term among the church is the Lord’s Supper, or Communion. It is the remembering the sacrifice of the Passover Lamb, specifically the Lord Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. There is a lesson of giving thanks for us to learn from this wonderful time of remembrance. This is what happened in the past.

We began two weeks ago to lay out three messages that pertain to His people, Israel, and certainly to His people, the church. In this passage in Isaiah, He Exposes the coverup of His people, He Reproves His people, and then He declares His decision which He made before the foundation of the world for those who believe and those who do not! Now, The Lord God of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel declares!