Has someone ever made you a promise which not only sounded to good to be true, but could even be termed totally way out there?  I know how human nature would react – we would say “now way”…but inside, our “willer” would say ” YES, WAY….er…please”!!!

For instance, take this one man who lived over 75 years surrounded by generations of not just pagan idol worship, but some of the vilest and sex-oriented debauchery which literally had its roots with Noah’s great grandson – King (Ima) Nimrod! This man’s dad was one of the richest  in UR, (which is not a Twitter abbreviation for “you are”). Terah reigned in Southern Iraq as one of the richest men there.

But one day, God said to Terah’s son- take up you beautiful childless 74 year old wife Sarai and go west, old man, to this new land….BUT I am not going to tell it just….just GO! Over twenty years go by in the hot and harsh deserts of the Cradle of Creation. Then one day, God tells this man “your 99 year old wife is going to have a baby, and you da man – at age 100”!

Faith enabled Abraham to become a father, even though he was old and Sarah had never been able to have children. Abraham trusted that God would keep his promise….Hebrews 11:11 (GWT)

Jesus Himself confirmed it to Abraham – Face to face – when the LORD visited Abraham and Sarah, with two angels, on the way to destroying Sodom and Gomorrah. Sarah laughed in private – an action with did not escape Jesus, who rebuked her. This story is told in Genesis 18: 10-15.

What we should ask ourselves is this – do we laugh at the Promises of God in His Word, or do we believe them… even a little bit?  Little Faith, just like a little knowledge, can be a dangerous thing. Look what happened when Sarah got impatient waiting for the Lord to send a natural heir for Abraham. She gave her young Egyptian servant girl, Haggar, to Abraham to impregnate, and we now have the Middle East crisis led by the sons of Ishmael!

Therefore, the word today is Believe. When the Lord, through His Spirit or the prophetic declaration of others, makes a promise to you, believe it! Then once you believe it, do not try to force His Hand. Just “Be still and know that He is God” (Psalm 46:10). Because if you try to help God out, they could be consequences you never bargained for!

Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD…. Psalm 27:14

When Old Testament (or pre-Calvary) saints died, they went directly to Paradise. Christ called it “Abraham’s bosom” which is a place of Comfort and Rest for those who died in Faith. They obviously did not have a chance to believe in and accept Jesus as Lord of their lives, because He was not crucified on the Cross yet. Jesus’ death on the Cross made atonement for every believer from Adam until the end of time.

Several passages in the Bible describe what Heaven is like. The goal of this message is not to look into every passage on heaven but to give the flavor of the Eternal City. But I must tease with this verse from Isaiah 35:5 NASB “A highway will be there, a roadway, and it will be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean will not travel on it, but it will be for him who walks that way, and fools will not wander on it”. 

Wow! This is an important verse because it prophesied over 700 years before Christ, just who is going to be a resident of the eternal city of God. From here on out, the Bible describes the City, which both Abraham and John the Apostle were allowed to see, according to the Word of God.

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